Red sox have signed $ 237 million, The first luxury tax threshold…

For the Boston Red Sox, the previous several seasons have been all about starting pitching, or the lack of it. Their lack of starting depth proved costly in 2023, as they finished last in the American League East for the second time in a row due to a free slide at the end of August and the first part of September.

In terms of starting pitching, the offseason mainly produced nothing; the Sox only signed Lucas Giolito and Cooper Criswell, who has only started two games in the major leagues. With Giolito now sidelined for an extended period of time due to an elbow injury requiring surgery, the Red Sox are in much greater danger than they were before.

Craig Breslow might not be able to spend more than, or even close to, the luxury tax level under a set of restrictions for this winter. The Red Sox have plenty of leeway, with the initial luxury tax level set at $237 million for 2024 and their payroll now hovering around $161 million.

Upgrades to the starting lineup might still make a catastrophic scenario a little less severe. It is possible for the Red Sox to sign any of these free-agent pitchers and still fall below the first round cutoff.