Sam Kennedy says ‘there’s still work to be done’ with Red Sox roster

“There’s still a lot of unsigned players and conversations going on."

Sam Kennedy spoke to the media during the Red Sox' "Truck Day" events on Monday. Matthew J. Lee / The Boston Globe

February 5, 2024

2 minutes to read

The Red Sox’ equipment truck departed for Fort Myers on Monday — a surefire sign that baseball is right around the corner.

But with Boston just nine days away from holding their first official spring training workout, it’s hard to view the 2024 Red Sox roster as anything close to a finished product.

The Red Sox have done little to significantly bolster their lackluster starting rotation this winter, with the team dealing Chris Sale to the Braves and signing free-agent righty Lucas Giolito to a two-year contract.

The case can be made that Boston also needs more right-handed power in the heart of its order.

Not only did the Red Sox rank 18th overall in home runs last season (182), they have also not addressed the absence of veteran Justin Turner — who signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays last week after driving in 96 runs in his lone campaign with Boston.

The Red Sox’s quiet offseason has rankled the feathers of a fan base in desperate need of good news after three last-place finishes in the last four years.

Speaking to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo on Monday, Red Sox team president/CEO Sam Kennedy stressed that Boston still has more time to bolster its roster before the start of the 2024 season.

“The offseason continues,” Kennedy told Cotillo. “There’s still a lot of unsigned players and conversations going on. I would anticipate there’s still work to be done.”

Despite a largely listless winter for the Red Sox, Boston could benefit from a stagnant free-agent market if chief baseball officer Craig Breslow plans on reeling off any last-minute moves.

As of Monday evening, there are still several key free agents across MLB who have yet to ink contracts — including proven starting pitchers like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.

Still, the Red Sox’ ability to add an impact player in the final days of the offseason might be hindered by the team’s self-imposed payroll.

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. That should give the Red Sox enough fiscal flexibility to sign a pitcher like Montgomery or a power bat like Jorge Soler to a market-value deal.

But Kennedy told the media at Winter Weekend last month that the payroll for this season will “probably be lower” than it was in 2023. The payroll last year was $225 million.

Could some of those fiscal restrictions change, especially if an appealing target like Montgomery remains up for grabs?

“Probably a better question for (Breslow),” Kennedy told Cotillo. “I don’t want to predict what sort of shape or form any additions or changes could take. But we’re still going.”