Did the Red Sox purposely keep Christian Vázquez from earning more money?

Did the Red Sox purposefully keep Christian Vázquez from earning more money in the final year of his contract?

This is the question that should be on Red Sox fans’ minds in the first week of the offseason, as questions about options and free agents begin to swirl.

Christian Vázquez signed a three-year, $13.55M deal with the Sox ahead of the 2019 season that included a club option for 2022. The option would pay $7M, or the Sox could give him a $250K buyout.

However, Vázquez’s contract stipulated that if he reached 502 plate appearances in both 2020 and 2021, his option would escalate to $8M.

As Chris Cotillo noted on Tuesday, Vázquez’s 189 plate appearances in the shortened 2020 season prorate to approximately 510 in a regular season. However, he did not reach 502 plate appearances in 2021.

He made 498.

One more game, maybe two, and Vázquez is making an extra million if the Sox pick up his option.

Christian Vázquez wants the Red Sox to pick up his 2022 option

During the postseason, Vázquez was open about wanting to stay with the franchise that drafted him in 2008 and with whom he has played his entire seven-year career:

"“I hope they take [the option].I like it here. This is my home from 14 years ago. I hope we can do whatever to stay here. I love it here. This is my home.”"

Will the Red Sox continue to be frugal in 2022?

Chaim Bloom was hired to be the anti-Dave Dombrowski. The former comes from the frugal Rays, who have a robust farm system, and have been a strong team for many years despite their minuscule payroll. The latter depleted the farm system and skyrocketed the Sox over the luxury tax threshold.

Since becoming the Red Sox President of Baseball of Operations, Bloom has not tendered a contract of longer than two years to anyone. With catching prospects like Connor Wong rising in the system and a bumper crop of free-agent catchers next offseason, the Red Sox readying Vázquez for open waters is more than likely.

But one of the wealthiest franchises in pro sports purposefully preventing a player from earning an extra million would be a very bad look.