Smart Spending
The Red Sox shouldn’t splurge in free agency simply because they have money to burn. That’s how they got themselves into the luxury tax hell to begin with.
Throwing a boatload of money at the best available free agents, regardless of how they fit with your roster, is how the Red Sox got stuck with Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. It’s why they ended up giving a record-breaking contract to Price. All of those deals backfired because Boston was too eager to spend money for a quick fix.
A lot can change in a year and we’ll need to reevaluate options when the time comes. Perhaps it makes sense to go all in if this year’s team exceeds expectations to convince the front office they are only one move away from a championship. The pool of free agents could grow to include more enticing options if players opt-out of deals or club options aren’t picked up. The trade market could open an alternative path to acquiring a new star.
Boston’s newfound financial freedom has opened up a number of different possibilities to improve the roster in the long run. They sacrificed a lot to put themselves in this position so they can’t waste it with an ill-advised decision on a player who isn’t a clear fit for the sake of making a splash to “win” the offseason. Red Sox fans don’t like hearing it, but sometimes patience really is a virtue.