Red Sox offseason begins with decisions looming within next 5 days
By Sean Penney
Options looming for the Red Sox
The deadline for teams to exercise team options is five days after the end of the World Series. Boston has a few decisions to make regarding club options but they should be easy choices.
Declining the $10 million option for Garrett Richards should be obvious. He flashed some upside once he was moved to the bullpen but this price is too high for the middle reliever role the team would use him for and he’s likely to seek a deal with a team that would allow him to return to the rotation. The Red Sox would owe him a $1.5 million buyout if they decline the option.
Martin Perez was the other starter who was banished to the bullpen in August, making his $6 million option another clear choice to decline. The Red Sox declined his option when facing a similar scenario last year only to bring him back on a cheaper deal but it’s more likely they cut bait and move on this time.
The one that Boston probably will pick up is the $7 million option for Christian Vazquez. His offensive production declined this season and he at times looked lackadaisical behind the plate but Vazquez is a veteran catcher who knows this pitching staff. The price is a bit more than what he’s worth on the heels of a down season but it’s reasonable enough that Boston should bring him back for one more year before reevaluating the position next offseason.