Boston Red Sox: Paying the luxury tax to miss the playoffs
The Boston Red Sox are set to pay the luxury tax for the second straight year and the defending champs are all but guaranteed to miss the playoffs this season.
The defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox are all but out of the playoff chase this season. At 8 1/2 games out of the second Wild Card spot, it would take a miracle. The cap on salary was set at $206 million this season.
They are set to pay about $13 million in luxury taxes this season, tops in all of baseball. That amount is a hefty price to pay, especially when it will not result in a chance to defend their title.
The Red Sox will be entering a crucial offseason after firing president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski.
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Whomever the Red Sox hire, it will need to be fast. They have eight players set to be free agents next year, including Rick Porcello, Andrew Cashner, Jhoulys Chacin, Mitch Moreland, and Eduardo Nunez.
That person will also have several people eligible for arbitration including superstar Mookie Betts. Others are Jackie Bradley Jr., Eduardo Rodriguez, and Sandy Leon. How they handle arbitration and free agency will determine not only how good they are next season, but in the many seasons to come.
The entire salary for the team is set to be $242.8 million up from Opening Day’s number of $239.7 million. Sometimes the gamble to pay the luxury tax pays off. It most certainly did last year, but this year it has come back to bite the Red Sox in the rear.
There are only two other teams this year paying the luxury tax this year. Those two teams are the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs.
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Look for the Boston Red Sox to be aggressive this offseason, especially in the pitching department. Their starting rotation has been a major disappointment this season and will definitely need some work in order for them to compete next year.