Red Sox: Three contract extension candidates this spring
By Sean Penney
The Red Sox might try to lock up these players with an extension
The Boston Red Sox have had a busy offseason but they aren’t necessarily done yet. While the focus has been on reshaping the roster to build depth and plug holes, the next step could be looking internally to address the future of their core players.
Chaim Bloom was addressing the media on Sunday when the topic of contract extensions was brought up. The Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer confirmed that there have been internal discussions about potential candidates and he expects to speak with those players about an extension this spring.
Bloom expects to have some extension talks with players this spring. Possibilities have been discussed internally already.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 21, 2021
The San Diego Padres recently locked up Fernando Tatis Jr. with a massive 14-year, $340 million extension, ensuring their emerging young star remains with the organization through the prime of his career. This creates cost certainty for the team, financial security for the player, and provides relief for Padres fans who no longer need to worry about if the team can afford to keep their star in San Diego.
Red Sox fans who remain haunted by the departure of Mookie Betts know all too well the risks of allowing their best player to approach free agency without an extension. Securing a player’s future in Boston would avoid that unenviable scenario of trading them away before they get the chance to leave them for nothing.
On the other hand, Chris Sale’s contract is a cautionary tale about jumping the gun too early with an extension. Sale’s health wasn’t in question when he signed his five-year deal but one year and one significant arm surgery later and critics are quick to label the extension a disaster.
Contract extension negotiations can be complicated by factors that vary from player to player. It has to work for both sides and the timing needs to be right. The Red Sox will have these discussions with certain players but that doesn’t necessarily mean a deal will get done this spring.
Since we have confirmation that the team will approach certain players about an extension, let’s look at the top candidates who Bloom may have been hinting at when he confessed to having these internal discussions.