Where can the Boston Red Sox trim payroll to make additions?

While the team has been more discreet in explaining their choices to not pursue certain free agents, are they really out of payroll space?

The Boston Red Sox are looking at a very questionable bullpen heading into 2019, and as multiple bullpen pieces have signed elsewhere, a common refrain from the front office has been that the team was simply not looking to invest the years and/or money that said free agent was asking.

However, Masslive.com’s Christopher Smith put together the numbers and suggested that the Boston Red Sox could be dangerously close to the penalty point of the luxury tax, with a payroll estimated at $238 million, just $8 million shy of the $246 million threshold when draft pick and international signing bonus penalties begin to kick in.

The current Boston Red Sox bullpen

The Red Sox have re-signed Nathan Eovaldi and seen Joe Kelly sign with the Dodgers. Closer Craig Kimbrell is currently the premier reliever left on the market, and his number will certainly be significantly more than $8 million for 2019.

That leaves the bullpen headed by Ryan Brasier, who was just a rookie last season, and while he had success, he was a 30-year-old rookie that found success over 34 appearances. The chance that he’s going to sustain that going forward is not exactly high.

The rest of the current bullpen would include Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Tyler Thornburg, Brandon Workman, Brian Johnson, Hector Velazquez, Colten Brewer, Marcus Walden, Bobby Poyner, Carson Smith, and potentially even top prospect Darwinzon Hernandez, who looked dominant out of the bullpen in the Arizona Fall League. Not exactly what you would call “shut down”.

So who could the Red Sox move?

Many felt the rumors that the Boston Red Sox were looking to move players like Jackie Bradley, Jr. or even Xander Bogaerts were crazy, but with the payroll restrictions, pending free agents like Bogaerts and Brock Holt would make good sense to consider, with Bogaerts making $12 million and Holt making just over $3.5 million.

Probably the player that would have the most trade value and make the biggest impact on payroll would be Rick Porcello. While he didn’t have a repeat of his 2016 season, he also didn’t repeat his 2017 season, settling comfortably in the middle, where he’d been for most of his career, with a league average ERA, roughly a strikeout per inning, and consistently heading to the mound for his 30+ starts per season.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Porcello is a free agent after 2019 and is making just over $21 million in 2019. He probably isn’t going to bring back an elite prospect return if the acquiring team eats his entire salary.

Outside of Bogaerts, Holt, or Bradley ($8.5 million in 2019), Porcello is the guy that makes the most sense, as he would give the Red Sox the chance to pick up another veteran starter like Ervin Santana, Marco Estrada, Gio Gonzalez, or even pursue a return with Drew Pomeranz.

Even after picking up a starter to replace Porcello, the Red Sox would have the funds to pursue a few cheaper veterans like Ryan Madson, Shawn Kelley, Tyler Clippard, Oliver Perez, and others who would be likely to sign short-term deals for less money than what has been seen with other relievers this offseason.

The bullpen still needs some significant work if the Boston Red Sox hope to defend their 2018 World Series title. Clearing the financial space to fill that bullpen could get painful for fans of the team.