Red Sox Free Agent Targets
Now that the 40-man roster and non-tender deadlines have passed, the focus for the Red Sox is on free agency. The Sox have already swung two trades, trading Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts for St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray. Then, in a five-player deal, the Sox acquired Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Johan Oviedo, minor league reliever Tyler Samaniego, and minor league catcher Adnoys Guzman in exchange for outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and minor league pitcher Jesus Travieso.
Turning over to free agency, the Red Sox are expected to prioritize position players on the market. First base is among the biggest needs with Triston Casas’s future with the team uncertain. Players like Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger, Munetaka Murakami, and Kazuma Okamoto would be among the best options for the Sox. For Murakami and Okamoto, the Red Sox would also pay a posting fee to their Nippon Professional Baseball team.
Third base is also an area of concern since it is not known if Alex Bregman will re-sign. If he does not, expect Murakami or Okamoto along with Eugenio Suarez to be targets.
If they are still after starting pitching, players like Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Chris Paddack, Ranger Suarez, and Framber Valdez could be targets for Boston. For relievers, Pete Fairbanks, Kyle Finnegan, and Kenley Jansen could also be targets.
The big concern, however, is that the Red Sox, while willing to spend up to the first luxury tax threshold, aren’t willing to go much beyond that. This is because they risk reporting losses if they do otherwise. It will be interesting to see what moves the Sox make this winter, especially now that the winter meetings are around the corner.
