The Boston Red Sox have consistently shed payroll in recent years, as evidenced by the Mookie Betts and Chris Sale trades that backfired on the club. Amid growing frustration from the fan base with the Fenway Sports Group and team owner John Henry, recent Red Sox rumors suggest a change could be coming.
During the 2023-’24 MLB offseason, Boston signed starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, first baseman C.J. Cron, closer Liam Hendriks and reliever Michael Fulmer. it was an uneventful offseason and Boston’s additions provided very few impactful contributions this past season.
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- Boston Red Sox payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $136 million
As Red Sox ticket prices kept climbing, the payroll for the roster steadily dipped and it resulted in the club failing to finish with a winning record for the third consecutive year. After seeing the rival New York Yankees reach the World Series all while the Baltimore Orioles have built themselves into a perennial contender, there now seems to be a chance of Boston being active this winter.
According to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, multiple MLB agents including Scott Boras have shared that Red Sox ownership is “committed” to adding premium talent this offseason in MLB free agency.
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“Several agents, [Scott] Boras among them, have mentioned that the message from the Sox has been that ownership is committed to adding high-end talent and the team plans to be active in the free agent market.”
Pete Abraham on the Boston Red Sox approach to MLB free agency
There are plenty of names to choose from this winter. On the pitching side, the likes of Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Justin Verlander and Nathan Eovaldi are all available this winter. As for ways to improve the Red Sox lineup, Boston could pursue the likes of Pete Alonso, Teoscar Hernandez, Willy Adames, Joc Pederson or Anthony Santander.
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The Red Sox payroll in 2025 is currently much lower than some of the top contenders around baseball, opening the door for the Fenway Sports Group to be among the biggest spenders.
However, as fans know well, there were plenty of MLB rumors in previous offseasons about the club spending more money and it never happened. So, while the reports right now might fuel optimism, Boston’s ownership has to prove this is more than just smoke.