MLB insider Ken Rosenthal doesn’t think Red Sox are ‘trying’ this offseason
"It's inexplicable to me the way they're running this thing."
Red Sox fans looking for good news this offseason haven’t much comfort on MLB’s transaction wire.
Hopes of a “full throttle” winter have ground to a halt in record time. Boston has primarily stood on the sidelines as top talent like Yoshinobu Yamamoto put pen to paper elsewhere.
Yes, Craig Breslow and the Red Sox have juggled around their roster. Boston traded away pieces like Chris Sale and Alex Verdugo — while adding new faces like righty Lucas Giolito, second baseman Vaughn Grissom, and outfielder Tyler O’Neil.
But Boston’s unwillingness to flex its fiscal muscle could have the Red Sox franchise coming off a third last-place finish in four years staring at yet another underwhelming summer in 2024.
Boston currently has a projected payroll of a little over $200 million — with close to $36 million available to spend before hitting MLB’s first competitive tax threshold of $237 million.
The Red Sox still have the breathing room available to sign a proven starter like Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell and remain under that $237 million ceiling.
But Red Sox team president Sam Kennedy told the media at Winter Weekend that the payroll for this season will “probably be lower” than it was in 2023. The payroll last year was $225 million.
And after Boston let veteran leader Justin Turner walk in free agency (en route to signing a one-year deal with the Blue Jays), MLB insider Ken Rosenthal has apparently had enough.
During an appearance on “Foul Territory” Tuesday, Rosenthal was asked by former MLB catcher A.J. Pierzynski if the Red Sox were actually “trying” this offseason.
“No,” the Fox Sports field reporter and The Athletic senior writer declared.
Rosenthal then elaborated on his curt response, stressing that the Red Sox are not tied up with the same payroll and revenue issues plaguing other teams in regard to broadcast and network rights.
“I mean, let’s face it — they’re the Boston Red Sox,” Rosenthal said. “They don’t have this regional sports network problem, they own NESN. They are a team that should be, as their chairman Tom Werner said earlier this offseason, they should be ‘full throttle.'”
In particular, Rosenthal took umbrage with Boston’s presumed hesitancy to play ball in what has been a stagnant market — especially with an inning-eating starter like Montgomery still available.
“They’ve got Jordan Montgomery, sitting in Boston, working out in Boston. His wife is doing a residency in Boston — he is right in front of them,” Rosenthal said. “And maybe they’ll sign him, but it sure doesn’t seem like they’re gonna do anything big. Sam Kennedy, their team president, said at their winter event … he indicated they might be cutting payroll. It’s inexplicable to me the way they’re running this thing.
“Now they have young talent coming. They’ve got some interesting pieces, even this year, that they’re going to incorporate. But, again, they’re the Boston Red Sox. And why are they not spending more … when that’s their number one thing: a top-of-the-rotation guy? They lost Sale, who could have been that guy, but maybe wasn’t going to be. Who’s that guy? And if they signed Blake Snell, if they signed Jordan Montgomery, you can say, ‘Okay, I get it.'”
With several key free agents still available, the Red Sox still have the means to bolster their roster before pitchers and catchers hold their first workout in Fort Myers on Feb. 14. It remains to be seen if they’ll actually carry out any of those plans.
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