Red Sox Free Agency: Five high-profile players to avoid

The Boston Red Sox are expected to make a splash in free agency this winter but not all options on the market are worth shelling out for.

The Boston Red Sox have a loaded roster centered around an emerging young core of stars. They’ve won consecutive division titles, yet merely making it to the postseason is never enough in this city. The goal is always to bring home another World Series trophy and to do that in 2018 will require some upgrades to put this team over the top.

With a depleted farm system left nearly barren by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s wheeling and dealing, free agency is the ideal path to finding what the Red Sox need.

If there’s anything we learned from the previous front office regime it’s that free agency can be a dangerous minefield littered with overpriced options that can blow up in your face unless you choose wisely. The Red Sox are still paying Pablo Sandoval to play elsewhere and are counting down the days until Hanley Ramirez‘ contract expires.

This year’s crop of free agents has its fair share of star power but not all of them are great fits for Boston. Whether it be the projected price tag, fielding a position this team doesn’t need to splurge on or being a player that carries too many red flags, these free agents are players the Red Sox should avoid this winter.