Boston desperately needs a lift.
Will the Boston Red Sox finally make an impact in the free-agent market after a long period of silence?
Craig Breslow, the Red Sox’s chief baseball officer, finally ventured into free agency, signing right-hander Lucas Giolito to bolster the rotation.
The move immediately resulted in the departure of left-hander Chris Sale, putting the pitching staff in the same situation as before: low on proven arms.
With that said, the Red Sox remain favorites for arguably the best starter available despite their recent investment in Giolito.
The Red Sox are listed as the overwhelming favorites to sign left-hander Jordan Montgomery should he depart from the Texas Rangers according to the oddsmakers at BetOnline. Boston enters with +125 odds (44.44% implied chance) to land the intriguing 30-year-old hurler, who is set for a notable payday.
Montgomery posted a 3.20 ERA with a 166-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .247 batting average against and 1.19 WHIP in 188 2/3 innings between his time with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Rangers.
Boston reset the luxury tax last season and has absolutely no excuse to not spend big this winter. Unlike his predecessor, Breslow appears to be an aggressive leader of baseball operations, someone who is not afraid to fail.
While that attitude is welcomed after years of hesitancy, the former reliever-turned-exec appears to have some limitations from ownership.
It was reported earlier that the Red Sox told an agent that they had to free up some payroll before investing in a free agents’ services. That would imply that John Henry and company issued a tight budget — especially given how far below the luxury tax Boston currently is.
The Red Sox have moved in silence so far — nobody saw the Sale trade coming and Giolito whispers only truly started just days before news broke.
It’s possible that the new tight-lipped regime has everyone fooled and they’ll spend big. However, recent history would imply that Montgomery will be out of the Red Sox’s price range — who have the money but don’t care about winning enough to spend it.
We’ll find out soon enough.
