Boston Red Sox Have Signed Yankees Pitcher Aaron Judge Of For $9.5m To Replace…..
Before Spring Training begins in February, the Red Sox will still be looking for pitching help, but they do not anticipate making a move for one of the best arms available as free agents.
It’s not surprising, given that Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy told reporters earlier this month that Boston’s payroll would “probably” be lower in 2024 than it was in 2021, that “every indication remains that the Sox won’t be pursuing long-term deals for [Jordan] Montgomery or [Blake] Snell.” Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (subscription required) wrote on Saturday.
Rather, the Red Sox are searching for less expensive pitchers to bolster their depth. Boston is reportedly targeting reliever Ryne Stanek and swingman Jakob Junis, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
With the Giants in 2023, Junis appeared in 40 games (four starts) and over 86 innings set personal bests in ERA (3.87), K/9 (10.0), and K/BB ratio (4.57). Junis has made 168 appearances (110 starts) with a lifetime ERA of 4.64.
During his seven-year career, Stanek, on the other hand, has made 338 appearances and has recorded a 3.45 ERA and 10.5 K/9, including a 4.09 ERA with the Astros in 2023. He has made 56 starts in the major leagues, but he only did so as the Rays’ opener in 2018–19.
According to Cotillo, unless the Red Sox trade closer Kenley Jansen—which is still a possibility—a Stanek deal might not happen.
President of baseball operations Craig Breslow told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe earlier this week that while the Red Sox are still in talks with players and organizations that could assist them improve their pitching staff, finding a match has been “a challenge.”
The team’s other need is a power bat from the right side of the plate, and Breslow might find it easier to fulfill that requirement.
“Yes, we would love to add power,” he replied. “We would love to have right-handed power.”
To help with it, the team may choose to bring in a well-known player. Adam Duvall, an outfielder, and Justin Turner, an infielder, are reportedly in talks with the organization.
Before suffering a two-month absence due to a fractured left wrist last season, Duvall was off to a scorching start with Boston. In 92 games, he finished with an OPS of.834 and 21 home runs. Duvall, a legendary outfielder, did, however, record minus-4 outs above average in center field last season. The 35-year-old might be placed in right field by the Red Sox, where Wilyer Abreu seems to be their best choice for now.
Turner, 39, had a slash line of.276/.345/.455 in 2023, his first season with the team. In 146 games, he scored 31 doubles and 23 home runs. Turner has played third base for a long time, but at this stage of his career, first base or designated hitter might be a better match. Although Turner might share at-bats with Masataka Yoshida and other players at second base if he resigns, Triston Casas seems to be Boston’s starting first baseman. As per Abraham, Boston intends to distribute opportunities among the club in 2024 instead of having a single full-time DH.
Although the Red Sox were supposedly in the running to sign Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga before the deadline on Thursday for his posting period, the 30-year-old is said to have struck a deal with the Cubs, thus Boston is back at the starting point.
Despite purportedly emphasizing bolstering their rotation, the Red Sox have only acquired Lucas Giolito thus far; in return for infielder Vaughn Grissom, they sent Chris Sale to the Braves. The team reportedly showed interest in Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and James Paxton around the time of Giolito’s signing.
The Red Sox may try to trade away a number of players in order to reduce their payroll while they continue to look into various options for roster additions.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Boston is informing teams about the availability of All-Star closer Kenley Jansen, who is owed $16 million in the last year of a two-year contract. Outfielder Masataka Yoshida, who inked a five-year, $90 million contract with the Red Sox last offseason, is another player the franchise is open to talking to.
Even though Jansen is long past his peak, he can still be a useful closing option. During 44 2/3 innings last season, the 36-year-old produced 29 saves, a 3.63 ERA, and 52 strikeouts.
According to earlier reports from Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic (subscription needed), Yoshida, 30, was the target of multiple teams. In his first season with the Red Sox, Yoshida hit.289 with 15 home runs and a.783 OPS across 140 games; however, according to Baseball-Reference, he only produced 1.4 WAR, partly because of his subpar left field fielding.
Based on predicted salaries for arbitration-eligible players, Cot’s Baseball Contracts projects Boston’s Competitive Balance Tax amount for 2024 to be approximately $192 million. This amount is approximately $45 million less than the first tax threshold of $237 million.
Whether the Red Sox can sign several expensive free agents and stay under the threshold without giving up compensation in a trade is debatable.
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