Another down-to-the-wire free-agent courtship culminated in disappointment for the Red Sox.
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Chicago Cubs have “reached a tentative deal” with Shōta Imanaga, pending a bodily. The phrases of the contract should not but recognized, however he was projected to obtain a long-term deal price not less than $100 million.
The Red Sox have been technically in competition to land the left-hander as just lately as Tuesday morning, however Alex Speier of the Boston Globe described the outlook as “doubtful.”
Imanaga, whose nickname is “The Throwing Philosopher,” was the second Japanese star pitcher on their want checklist this offseason, but it surely’s unclear how aggressive they honestly have been with him or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who selected the Dodgers. The Red Sox have been by no means going to present Yamamoto the 12-year, $325M deal he acquired from Los Angeles, which might’ve eclipsed Rafael Devers’ franchise-record extension, but it surely’s unclear in the event that they’ve made really aggressive bids to any of their supposed prime targets. They have been initially scorching on Teoscar Hernández’s path, discussing a two-year take care of the slugging outfielder. He additionally selected the Dodgers, agreeing to a one-year, $23.5M pact with the west coast powerhouse.
The Red Sox want a right-handed hitter, an infusion of energy within the lineup, and one other beginning pitcher, however seem extra centered on cost-cutting. Despite present projections, which have them practically $40M beneath this 12 months’s luxurious tax threshold, they’ve informed not less than one free agent that they’d must shed payroll to be able to make him a reputable provide. Their most aggressive transfer to date has been the Chris Sale commerce, and it did little in the best way of saving cash; they’re paying $17M of his wage this 12 months.
Other than the Dodgers, it’s been a gradual offseason for many of the league. Yet most golf equipment aren’t as rich because the Red Sox, nor are they held to the identical commonplace. At current, the prevailing opinion across the league is that the Red Sox are persevering with to function with pointless restraint, persevering with to function like a smaller-market crew. “It’s embarrassing,” a league supply informed the Herald. “What excuse do they have for not spending?”
Perhaps it’s as a result of the Red Sox see this as one other bridge 12 months. They’ve been rebuilding for the final a number of seasons – Devers is the one remaining participant from the ’18 championship crew – and now have a top-ranked farm system and immense monetary flexibility forward. Next 12 months’s free-agent class is headlined by a number of spectacular arms, together with Corbin Burnes, Gerrit Cole (opt-out), Justin Verlander, and Zack Wheeler, so the Red Sox could also be holding off with reference to their rotation. They’re additionally navigating new baseball operations management within the type of Craig Breslow, and Alex Cora’s contract is up subsequent offseason.
If that’s the case, although, chairman Tom Werner shouldn’t have promised a “full throttle offseason.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com