As the market takes shape, two names tied to the Red Sox keep surfacing for big money: Sonny Gray and Michael King.
That’s the read from Andy McCullough, who pointed out that this free-agent class doesn’t have much star power beyond Tarik Skubal, but it still includes a few players who could cash in. Among the pitchers, McCullough said San Diego Padres starter Michael King and Boston Red Sox veteran Sonny Gray could “strike it big.” On the position-player side, Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena is also in line for a strong payday.
“The incoming free-agent class features scant stardom beyond Skubal. San Diego Padres starter Michael King and Boston Red Sox veteran Sonny Gray could also strike it big. Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena headlines a group of hitters that includes Milwaukee Brewers postseason hero Jake Bauers, two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki.
“At 28, Padres lefty Adrián Morejón tops the relief market. The incoming class from Nippon Professional Baseball features pitcher Hiromi Itoh, third baseman Teruaki Sato and pitcher Kaima Taira,” Andy McCullough wrote.
For the Red Sox, the timing matters as much as the names. Free agents are looking to get deals done before the lockout, since a salary cap could end up costing them money. That creates a window where Boston may need to move quickly over the next couple of weeks.
If that plays out, the Red Sox will need a clear sense of what King, Gray, Arozarena and the rest of the top names are asking for sooner rather than later.
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Among the former Red Sox in the mix are Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, David Hamilton, Dustin May and Cam Booser, each arriving there by a different path and with a different role in the postseason. Some have already made real contributions in October, while others have seen more limited action, but the common thread is clear enough for Boston fans: a series that should be about two long-suffering franchises has unexpectedly put a handful of ex-Red Sox right at the center of it. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Still Have One Winter Need They Can't Ignore
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Still, one area keeps looming over the offseason plan: power. Bostons front office has to weigh the likely departure of Sonny Gray, along with free-agent decisions on Patrick Sandoval and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, while also sorting out where the next impact bat comes from. Whether it comes via free agency or a trade, the Red Sox seem to know the same thing every contender eventually does - a good roster can always use another source of thump, and that need has a way of becoming impossible to ignore once the market starts moving. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Fans Can Dream But One Bryce Harper Hurdle Looms
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The catch is obvious, and it is a large one. Harpers situation is built around a heavy contract and a no-trade clause, so any path to Boston would be complicated from the start, and there is no indication he is even available. For now, it is more dream than deal, with the Red Sox left to monitor whether Philadelphia would ever even consider moving him and whether Harper would entertain the idea at all. [Read more 🡒]