Red Sox Rumors: Chaim Bloom ‘likelier’ to pursue this type of free agent

The Boston Red Sox are rumored to be aiming high in free agency

Chaim Bloom did a tremendous job of solidifying the roster with undervalued talent last year but he wasn’t willing to pay the price for the top free agents on the market. His reasons were twofold. Bloom was charged with two primary tasks when he took over the front office for the Boston Red Sox.

The first was getting the team’s bloated payroll in order, which he did by resetting the dreaded luxury tax penalties in 2020. Signing an expensive free agent threatened to send them back to the payroll prison they had only recently escaped from at a point when they weren’t ready to be a contender.

Second on his agenda was rebuilding the farm system. The Red Sox had one of the lowest rated farm systems when Bloom arrived but in a short period of time he’s managed to stockpile enough talent to vault them into the consensus top-10.

Many of the top free agents have declined a qualifying offer from their former team, meaning signing them would cost the Red Sox their second-highest draft pick plus $500,000 from their international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period. Both penalties are counterproductive to the efforts to rebuild the farm system and they are even more severe for teams that exceeded the luxury tax.

Had the Red Sox signed a free agent who declined a qualifying offer last year, it would have cost them their second-round pick. You might assume that this wouldn’t be a big deal since the Red Sox weren’t able to sign Jud Fabian, who decided to go back to the University of Florida when his demands for an offer well above slot value weren’t met. However, Boston will receive the No. 41 overall pick in next year’s draft, just one spot lower than where they took Fabian, as compensation.

The Red Sox forfeited their second-round pick in the 2020 draft as part of the penalty stemming from the sign-stealing scandal. If they had signed a free agent who declined a qualifying offer the previous offseason, they would have also lost their third-round pick which they used to select Blaze Jordan, who is now ranked No. 9 in their farm system.

Losing a portion of their international bonus pool money is an often overlooked penalty that can be significant. Limiting what the Red Sox can spend on international free agents might cost them the chance at the next Xander Bogaerts or Rafael Devers.

The cost of signing a free agent who declined a qualifying offer can be steep, which explains Bloom’s hesitance to pursue that path in the past. The Red Sox organization is in a much different place than it was when he first took the reigns though, which means Bloom’s strategy might change. According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox are “likelier” to pursue free agents who received a qualifying offer than they were a year ago.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Red Sox will land one of the top free agents but at least they should be on the radar now that Bloom has revealed the penalties for signing one of these players isn’t a deal-breaker anymore. The list of available options in this market, assuming they decline their qualifying offers, is appealing.

The presence of Bogaerts doesn’t necessarily mean the Red Sox can’t pursue another shortstop. Now would be the opportune time to find a replacement in case Bogaerts opts-out with the intention of leaving next year and he’s expressed a willingness to change positions at some point if he stays. This free agent class is loaded with shortstops, including Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Trevor Story and Marcus Semien, all of whom received qualifying offers.

A long-term deal for a first baseman doesn’t appear to be a priority with top prospect Triston Casas arriving soon but the talent of Freddie Freeman or Brandon Belt might be too tantalizing to pass on. Securing one of these star first basemen could enable Bloom to flip Casas for an upgrade at another position.

Keep an eye on Chris Taylor, an All-Star who brings the versatility the Red Sox covet. His second-half swoon was concerning but he bounced back with a strong postseason for the Dodgers.

Boston could use a more reliable closer after Matt Barnes faltered in the second half of this season. Raisel Iglesias had an excellent season closing games for the Angels and represents the top option if the Red Sox go the free agency route to upgrade their bullpen.

Robbie Ray is a Cy Young candidate and comes with the added benefit of stealing from the rotation of the division rival Toronto Blue Jays. Justin Verlander is a riskier option as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery but we know the upside that the former MVP brings.

Eduardo Rodriguez is also among the potential free agents who received a qualifying offer. While it’s possible he accepts the offer to remain in Boston on a one-year, $18.4 million deal, the Red Sox would receive a draft pick if he declines and signs elsewhere. If Bloom knows he’s getting a compensation pick for losing E-Rod, it will increase the odds that he’s comfortable losing a pick to sign an upgrade in free agency.

Bloom has shown a knack for finding value but we’ve never seen him swing for the fences with a top of the market free agent. It was never an option while he was running the small-market Rays and shelling out big contracts hasn’t been part of the blueprint he has followed since arriving in Boston. A surprising run to the ALCS shows the Red Sox rebuilding plan is ahead of schedule, making this an ideal time for Bloom to change course by making a big splash that helps put this team over the top in pursuit of a World Series championship.