Boston Red Sox: Three decisions that must be made this offseason
The Boston Red Sox find themselves rapidly falling behind in the AL East. It is time to make some difficult decisions.
Fresh off a World Series championship in 2018, last year was a disappointment for the Boston Red Sox. Not only did they fail to defend their title, but they were unable to reach the postseason. Their 84-76 record led to the firing of GM Dave Dombrowski, and has forced the new front office to re-evaluate the roster.
However, even that evaluation must change. The rival Yankees dropped a bombshell on the division, landing Gerrit Cole, the best pitcher in free agency, on a record contract. The Rays signed Japanese slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo in an effort to keep pace. Boston? Well, they signed Martin Perez and Jose Pereza, but also lost Rick Porcello in free agency, and are pressed against the luxury tax. Improvements are not likely to happen.
At this point, the Red Sox are falling rapidly behind in the AL East. If everything goes well, and they can remain healthy, Boston may be able to contend for a Wild Card spot. Based on 2019, and the litany of injuries suffered by their pitching staff, contention may be a pipe dream in the coming year.
With that being the case, the Boston Red Sox have some very important decisions to make regarding the direction of the franchise. Here are three moves that have to be considered.
Finding takers for David Price and Nathan Eovaldi
The Boston Red Sox financial woes could be dramatically lessened if they can find takers for David Price and Nathan Eovaldi.
Price will be the easier of the two to move on from. Despite being owed $96 million over the next three years, and was limited to just 22 starts last season due to wrist and elbow injuries. Nonetheless, at least five teams have displayed interest in the 34 year old lefty, gambling that he can return to the form he showed in 2018.
Eovaldi would be a much harder sell, although he has somehow garnered a bit of interest. He is still due another $51 million over the next three years, a contract that was doomed to be a mistake from the moment the pen touched the signature line. His injury woes cropped up once again, leaving Eovaldi to make just 23 appearances, with only 12 starts.
Regardless of which pitcher the Red Sox get rid of, they will likely need to pay to move on. While Price is generating interest, Boston is likely to pay a portion of his salary, or take on another bad contract to be rid of him. Although they are loathe to attach a prospect to Price, they would likely need to do so if they can entice a team to take on Eovaldi.
The Boston Red Sox should be able to move on from at least one contractual mistake. Even that would help their long term outlook.
Actually trade Mookie Betts
Mookie Betts may be the best player in the game aside from Mike Trout. The Boston Red Sox should trade him anyway.
It is a simple matter of logistics. Boston has repetitively attempted to engage Betts in talks regarding an extension. Each time, Betts has refused, seemingly determined to play out his time before arbitration, and then head to free agency. Given the contracts signed by Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon, he is set to cash in, possibly becoming the first player to earn $40 million per year.
Yes, the Red Sox will make Betts a Qualifying Offer. There is also zero chance that he accepts it. If Boston is unable to get under the luxury tax, they would receive a fourth round pick for Betts, which is absolutely not enough. While there is a great deal of uncertainty, now is the time to make a final decision.
If Betts continues to refuse to entertain a discussion about an extension, they need to make a trade. Even as a rental, Betts would bring back a significant return in prospects, which would allow the Red Sox to jumpstart their rebuild. They may even be able to attach one of their own bad contracts to such a deal without damaging their return.
The Boston Red Sox obviously want to keep Mookie Betts. But if he will not engage in extension talks, this is the time to make a deal.
Time to pick a direction for the future
At this point, the Boston Red Sox are seemingly aiming to have the best of both worlds – looking to cut payroll and somehow still contend.
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
It is not that simple. Any moves the Red Sox make from their roster would simply lead to another hole. For a team that would need to completely rebuild their bullpen, find another first baseman to pair with Mitch Moreland, and still look to find depth for their roster. That is not a small task, even if they keep the roster as is.
At this point, the team is at a crossroads. The decision must be made to either augment the roster and say to hell with the Luxury Tax, or to throw in the towel and rebuild. The middle road, which is what the Red Sox are on now, leads to nothing more than mediocrity.
It is not enough to pick a direction. The Red Sox have to stay the course, regardless of what happens. If they look to contend and end up out of the playoffs anyway, it was a gamble that misfired. However, if they do end up looking to rebuild, it makes sense to go all the way, and tear down the entire roster. There are building blocks for the future, but the front office will need to determine which of those pieces should remain.
Next. Red Sox all decade team. dark
The Boston Red Sox roster as currently constructed is too good to tank, but not good enough to contend. It is time to pick a direction and stay the course.