The Boston Red Sox have swung and missed in free agency thus far.
After finishing 3rd or lower in the Juan Soto sweepstakes and failing to pursue starting pitchers Max Fried (Yankees) and Shane Bieber (Guardians), former Red Sox players and fans are starting to think about the team's He constantly criticizes the leadership for not improving the roster.
“Red Sox can't afford to lose another offseason!!” Trade [Masataka] Mr. Yoshida and future prospects [Nolan] Arenado (sic), go get it. [Corbin] It burns (sic)!!” former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who stirs the pot online, said in a post about X.
Last offseason, Red Sox only get $4 million Net spending is third-lowest in baseball.Only the Rays and Mariners.
They seemed to be active with top free agents this offseason, but none of them signed with AL East teams, so that doesn't mean much to an impatient fan base. .
Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer and lifelong Red Sox fan He also made fun of Boston's lack of success. So far, most reports have suggested that Boston is “seriously” considering the player it didn't get.
Boston reportedly acquired Fried, who agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees on Tuesday.
They also missed out on Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber. According to the paper's Jon Heyman, he accepted less money from another team to return to Cleveland on a one-year deal.
Lou Merloni, a Red Sox announcer and former second baseman, also believes the team should prioritize playing full-time with Barnes, a former National League Cy Young Award winner.
“So Thor, (San Francisco) and Boston?? SF is scary. We just need a win.” Merloni told X. “Barnes is absolutely necessary. Then he can mess around with the bullpen and depth arms and pick up the bat. It's not important, but for them to be what they want to be, they need to be at the top of this rotation.” We need players who are there.”
Owner John Henry, who also owns Liverpool and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and his Fenway Group have come under fire in recent years for not spending as much as they used to.
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Boston had the 11th highest salary ($188 million) in 2024 while posting an 81-81 record.
The team has been criticized for offseason moves since trading Mookie Betts to the Dodgers in 2017 to avoid a big contract extension.
Boston has also shown interest in Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, but there is disagreement over how he will perform beyond the end of his prime.
