With free agency in full swing, it’s time to start breaking down which players might fit the Red Sox ’s needs. Since the end of the season, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has signaled on multiple occasions a willingness to add to the club this winter in an effort to break a multiyear malaise for the team. Advertisement “We asked our fans to sacrifice a lot to be patient as we build the foundation that would enable us to meet those goals,” Breslow said.
“I think we’re here. I think we’re ready to deliver.” At GM meetings this week, agent Scott Boras reinforced that notion with some interesting comments.
“In our meetings, (the Red Sox) are definitely letting us know that ownership is committed, that they’re wanting to secure high-level players and that they’re definitely planning on being very active in the free agent market,” he told reporters. The Red Sox seem prepared to add, so over the next couple weeks, we’ll explore free-agent fits for the rotation, lineup and bullpen. In our first installment here we’ll take a look at starting pitchers.
The Red Sox could go in a number of directions in adding to the rotation. The qualifying offer extended to Nick Pivetta does change the calculus a bit. Pivetta has until Nov.
19 to accept or decline the one-year, $21.05 million deal. The Red Sox payroll currently sits around $170 million, meaning the club has roughly $70 million to spend before hitting $241 million, the first tier of the luxury tax thres.