The Red Sox are on the verge of not completely insulting us
Kenley Jansen signed with the Red Sox this afternoon. Two years for $32 million, $16 million per. Jansen was arguable the second best available reliever this offseason. Only 2nd to Edwin Diaz of the Mets. Jansen led the National League with 41 saves and his 391 career saves are second most among active players and eighth all time. He’s the legit closer this team has needed since Craig Kimbrel fell apart.
The Sox also added lesser names to the pen in Chris Martin, and Joely Rodriguez. Some classic “Bloomers” if you will. Latest report from John Hayman is that the Red Sox are in serious talks with Xander Bogaerts. You have to think the Yankees bring Aaron Judge back has put pressure on Sox management and ownership. You over pay for home grown guys. Especially when they are corner stone All-stars who WANT TO BE HERE. That’s how you develop a culture. Not with spread sheets. Judge turned down some more lucrative deals on the west coast to stay with the organization that developed him. Take a hint Bloom.
So, look if Bloom can get Xander back and you’ve now added a top end closer that’s a nice start to what should be an extremely active off season for the Sox.
With the Jansen signing it puts payroll at about $175 million. The tax threshhold is $233 million. Not that it should matter to the $5Billion dollar Boston Red Sox, but apparently it does. That leaves you with over $50 million to spend. You still need a front end pitcher. Management has already confirmed they will not be reaching out to the likes of Rondon so expect Eovaldi to be back in the fold with cycling enthusiast Chris Sale as the front of your rotation. They still need a DH and starting OF. Can Bloom actually get it?
So far he’s struck out on Jose Abreau (undercutting the deal by $20 Million), right-hander Zach Eflin, left-hander Tyler Anderson, left-hander Andrew Heaney and right-hander Tommy Kahnle. All decided that playing for another team was better for their career at this point. Those are the ones we know about.
The basement of the AL East doesn’t attract players. Bloom will need to over pay to fill the holes on the major league roster. He’ll then have to hope the ever important farm system can develop enough to hold down positions like 1B with Tristian Casas and the back end of the rotation in Whitlock, Bello, Krawford, etc. We are right on the cups of a complete disaster or a redemption story that would simply put the Sox back in a position to possibly drag themselves out of the cellar. We are still not talking about World Series aspirations here.
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