MLB analyst thinks Red Sox were the 'big losers' of free agency after their 'plans fell apart'
According to Michael Kay, the Boston Red Sox turned out to be the big losers in the trade during the offseason. He believes that things didn't go well for them and that whatever plans they had for the offmseason all fell apart. They ended up losing players they wanted to keep and spent big money on players they didn't want to.
This was Michael Kay's analysis last night on the YES Network while duscussing the winners and losers of the trade market during the offseason. Kay picked the Red Sox as the big losers following their transactions in the winter. He believes that the loss of Xander Bogaerts and the absence of Trevor Story will cost them. They also ended up spending more than they wanted on contracts for Masatake Yoshida and Rafael Devers.
Critics and analysts across the country all seem to agree with Kay's judgment after their disappointing performance in the market. The loss of Xander Bogearts, a fan favorite, was the saga which was most emblematic of their trade performance. They have been guilty of both ignorance and misreading the market, which has landed them where they are now.
"I think the Red Sox turned out to be big losers," said Kay. "They gave money they didn't want to give. They lost players they didn't want to lose."
What grade would you give the Red Sox front office this offseason?
@RealMichaelKay weighs in on the Yankees' bitter division rivals. https://t.co/6Z8wUOVcUW
Have the Red Sox done enough to replace the players they lost?
The Red Sox's initial plan was to re-sign Xander Bogearts after he opted out of his contract and entered free agency in November 2022. However, they greatly misread the market and put forward a final offer which was a whopping $120 million short of the $280 million offer he received from the San Diego Padres. Everyone looked to GM Bloom to pin the blame on, but it also reflects on the decisions of owner Henry Ford and co-owners Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino.
As the offseason transactions unfolded, they also ended up losing J.D. Martinez to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Matt Strahm to the Philadelphia Phillies. As a result, they had to spend big on one of their remaining fan-favorites, Rafael Devers, to convince him to stay. Another signing which reeks of a bloated contract is that of newcomer Matasaka Yoshida, whose contract is worth $90 million over five years.
Their free agent spending without counting the Yoshida deal is believed to be around $73 million, which covers contracts signed by Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Joely Rodriguez. However, these additions have been judged to be insufficient to produce a competitive lineup, and they are projected to be one of the worst teams in the American League once again.