The Winter Meetings begin a week from Monday and the Boston Red Sox have plenty on their to-do list.
As with most teams, the offseason has been relatively quiet so far for the Red Sox, but behind the scenes, it seems as though they’ve been plenty busy preparing for what they’ve promised to be an aggressive winter.
CEO Sam Kennedy told the Boston Globe recently the club is willing to spend, “even if it takes us over the CBT,” in reference to the $241 million luxury tax threshold. The Red Sox are roughly $70 million shy of the luxury tax threshold and the next few weeks will prove to be crunch time.
If you’re trying to catch up on what has happened in the two months since the end of the regular season, here you go:
Where things stand with Juan Soto and the Red Sox
Every year one big free agent seems to dictate the rest of the market, and this year that’s Juan Soto.
So far the free-agent slugger has met with five teams, including the Red Sox, whose meeting with Soto was reportedly ‘productive’. The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty reported that offers are expected to be made by each team this week as Soto narrows down his choices heading into Winter Meetings. Though the Yankees and Mets are thought to be the favorites for Soto, the Red Sox seem to be making a legitimate push. Soto is good friends with David Ortiz and Ortiz has been vocal in support of the Red Sox signing the 26-year-old outfielder.
Soto is likely to command a deal north of 10 years and $600 million and that the Red Sox are in the mix for that kind of deal suggests they’re serious about spending this offseason.
Meetings with free-agent starters
The Red Sox met earlier in the offseason with starter Blake Snell, who ultimately signed with the Dodgers last week. They have also had talks with Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. With Snell signing for five years and $182 million, the market for top starters has begun to take shape.
Here’s a detailed look at which free-agent starters fit the Red Sox best and why.
Meanwhile, Japanese free agent Roki Saski is another highly sought-after starter. Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters he expects Sasaki will not be posted until the new international free agent signing period, which begins on Jan. 15. By then, the Red Sox should have a much better idea where their roster stands, but given Sasaki is only 23 and features a fastball that hits 100 mph, several teams will be vying for his services.
Signed reliever Justin Wilson
The lone free-agent signing the Red Sox have made thus far is veteran lefty reliever Justin Wilson. We dug more into the signing here and what it means for the bullpen. The Red Sox lacked left-handed relief options last season, and they have already started to address that hole.
With closer Kenley Jansen and set-up man Chris Martin both free agents this winter, the Red Sox need to add to the back end of the bullpen and have plenty of options to explore including Tanner Scott and Jeff Hoffman at the top of the market.
Nick Pivetta declined the qualifying offer
At the outset of the offseason, the Red Sox extended a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer to Nick Pivetta. He declined the deal in mid-November, opting to test the free-agent market for a longer deal.
If he signs elsewhere, the Red Sox will gain an additional pick following the second round in the 2025 MLB Draft. If the Red Sox do sign Soto (or Burnes or Fried or any other free agent who declined a qualifying offer), they would lose their second-highest draft pick and $500,000 of international draft money, but the pick they’d receive if Pivetta signs elsewhere would help offset that loss.
40-man roster additions
The Red Sox added two prospects to their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft: outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and right-hander Hunter Dobbins. Dobbins, the Red Sox 2024 minor-league pitcher of the year, adds starting depth to the pitching staff and could make spot starts at some point in 2025. Garcia is coming off a very strong year at the plate after jumping three levels and though the Red Sox outfield is quite crowded, he could be an option for the club down the line. Or he could be offered as part of a trade package this winter.
Coaching staff and front office changes
In addition to hiring Taylor Smith away from Tampa Bay as an assistant general manager who will be focused on predictive modeling and research and development, the Red Sox made some coaching changes.
Jose Flores, who’d been the bench coach for Triple-A Worcester, will now be Boston’s new first-base coach and infield instructor, replacing Andy Fox, who’d previously held both roles.
Chris Holt replaced Kevin Walker as the club’s new bullpen coach. Holt had spent the previous five seasons as director of pitching for the Baltimore Orioles and had served as a pitching coach from 2021-23. He’ll work alongside pitching coach Andrew Bailey and game-planning coordinator Jason Varitek.
The Red Sox also added Dillon Lawson as an assistant hitting coach alongside hitting coach Pete Fatse and assistant hitting coach Ben Rosenthal. Lawson had been the Red Sox’s minor-league hitting coordinator in 2024. He’d previously spent five seasons with the Yankees as a minor-league hitting coordinator and major-league hitting coach.
The Red Sox also hired Parker Guinn as a catching instructor and bullpen coach. Guinn had spent the previous two years as a manager for the Yankees’ Dominican Summer League team.
(Top photo of Soto: Brian Fluharty / Getty Images)
