Boston Red Sox in talks to extend a core player to long-term deal

At the end of the 2018 season, the Boston Red Sox walked away with a shiny World Series trophy and two of their top relievers entered free agency.

So, the latest Boston Red Sox rumors have involved replacing or re-signing those pitchers. As Joe Kelly ironically signed with the Dodgers, that leaves Craig Kimbrel. And, rumors have been swirling about reuniting him with the team he’s closed for in the past three season.

But, the latest news from Boston does not involve Kimbrel. Instead, it involves a “core player” and a contract extension.

The news came via Evan Drellich with NBC Sports Boston. As soon as the news was shared, questions began flying. There are several outstanding players on the BoSox who are closing in on free agency and many of them have become household names.

Possible position players in the mix

One of those players is J.D. Martinez. While he has a contract with the Sox through 2022, the power hitter has opt-out clauses each season beginning at the end of 2019. As he led the AL with 130 RBI and hit 43 home runs, the Red Sox would do well to convince him to stay for the long-term.

Another possible player is Andrew Benintendi, but his status as a team-controlled player through 2023 makes it unlikely. Benintendi hasn’t even entered into arbitration yet, so unless the team wants to trade him, there is no reason to lock him down this early in his career. Although, if Dave Dombrowski does want to keep Benintendi, he could learn from the mistakes made by the Baltimore Orioles and Manny Machado and lock down Benintendi sooner rather than later.

Mookie Betts could also be the player-in-question. The AL-MVP won’t be a free agent until 2021, and he is certain to garner the same attention that Machado and Bryce Harper are getting now. If the Red Sox want to keep Betts, they’d certainly have to make him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He was a bargain at $10 million in 2018 and he could earn upwards of $30 million annually if Harper and Machado sign for record amounts this off-season.

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Pitchers closing in on free agency

The other potential player in talks with Dombrowski could be Chris Sale. He will be a free agent at the end of the 2019 season. He is signed for $15 million for 2019 with an option for $16 million if he can win the elusive Cy Young Award. He’s a seven-time All-Star and has pitched a 2.56 ERA in his two seasons with the BoSox. He’ll be entering his age-30 season in 2019, but he would be a good choice to lock down for a few more years. You certainly want Sale pitching for you, rather than against you.

Rick Porcello is also closing in on free agency. Like Sale, Porcello is a free agent at the end of the 2019 season. While he may not be the fan-favorite (like Sale), he has been consistent and even won the Cy Young in 2016. His salary in 2019 will be $21 million – which is $6 million more than Sale will make. In today’s MLB market, it is unlikely that Porcello will get that much average annual value in free agency, so Dombrowski could be working on keeping Porcello at a reasonable rate for a few more seasons. It is crazy to think that the 10-year-veteran just turned 30 in December.

Most likely, the player the Red Sox are targeting for a contract will extension will make fans very happy. It shows that the team is committed to keeping the core together and putting together a group that fans will enjoy.