3 pending free agents the Red Sox need to let walk, 2 they need to try to keep
The Boston Red Sox have some tough choices coming up when it comes to some pending free agents.
It is hard to decide what to think of the Boston Red Sox going forward. They certainly aren't a bad team per se as they are above .500 and have one of the better offenses in the American League in 2023. They also have some talented young players on the roster and Rafael Devers continues to do Rafael Devers things.
However, you would still be hard-pressed to say with confidence that Boston will be much better than they are right now in 2024. The starting pitching situation is concerning and there isn't much help coming from the minor leagues. It even feels like Chaim Bloom and the rest of the front office doesn't know where the team stands given their inaction at the trade deadline.
We will get some clarity on much of this once the offseason gets under way and the first step is to figure out which of the Red Sox's pending free agents they need to try and keep and who the team needs to let walk.
Here are 3 pending free agents the Red Sox need to let walk, 2 they need to try to keep
As with anything, a lot of these decisions will ultimately come down to price and whether the team and the player agree on value. For some of the guys that seem like guys Boston should move on from, bringing them back on a super cheap and/or minor league deal still can make sense. For guys that Boston should want to keep, that may also not make sense if the two sides are too far apart on the money. These decisions are very fluid as the details do, in fact, matter.
Let's take a look at some of Boston's pending free agents they should let go and a couple that make sense to keep around.
Boston needs to say farewell to Adalberto Mondesi
This is sad one as Adalberto Mondesi had all the makings of a guy that could really help the Red Sox's offense cause some havoc in 2023. Mondesi's speed, when he is healthy, can change games in dramatic ways. While he was never an amazing hitter, the hope for Boston was that he would be able to recover from a torn ACL and be a valuable role player for the Red Sox at some point this season.
Sadly, Mondesi's recovery from that knee injury has gone far worse than expected. Progress was slow for a while and eventually it was revealed that Mondesi had another setback and isn't doing any baseball activities whatsoever right now. Hopefully he can find a way to get healthy and get his career back on track, but unfortunately he will probably have to do so with another organization.
The Red Sox need to decline Corey Kluber's option for 2024
Including Kluber here feels a bit like cheating because TECHNICALLY Kluber isn't a pending free agent as Boston does have an $11 million club option for 2024. However, the Red Sox should absolutely not exercise that option given where Kluber and his health stand in 2023.
After a dominant stretch from 2014-2018 with Cleveland, Kluber has looked like a shadow of his former self in recent years. Boston signed Kluber to a one year deal with a club option hoping that he could provide some decent innings for the team even if he is past his prime. Unfortunately, he has only made 15 appearances for the Red Sox this year, posted a 7.04 ERA in those appearances, and has been on the shelf with shoulder troubles for quite a while. It would nice to see Kluber bounce back at some point before he retires, but Boston shouldn't pay to find out if he can do it.
Joely Rodriguez needs to find a new team next season
Relievers are the most volatile asset in baseball and Joely Rodriguez is a prime example. When he is right, Joely misses bats and is a very useful middle relief option even if he has always walked too many batters. He isn't a guy you want trying to lock things down in high leverage situations, but he has the stuff to be a valuable bullpen arm.
The problem, like with many relievers, is injuries and Rodriguez is no stranger to them in 2023. Just this season, Joely has dealt with oblique, shoulder, and hip ailments with the latter keep him out since late July. The one thing that any player has to be is available and Joely hasn't been able to demonstrate the ability to stay on the field. A minor league deal to see if he can perform and remain healthy wouldn't be crazy, but anything beyond that is a deal Boston should stay away from here.
Boston should try to run it back with Adam Duvall
Before the trade deadline, there was a real argument for Boston to trade Adam Duvall and it still may have been a mistake for the Red Sox to hold on to him. The trade market was bereft of quality bats and since Boston clearly didn't have high aspirations for 2023 apparently, they could have instead gotten a nice prospect or two in exchange for a guy that is about to be a free agent.
However, that is not what the Red Sox decided to do and Duvall has rewarded them with one of his patented heaters in the month of August where he hit nine homers and posted a 174 wRC+. Duvall can be a frustrating hitter at times given his boom or bust nature, but he is a quality outfield defender and when he is on, he looks like Babe Ruth. Boston shouldn't try to give him a long-term deal, but a two or even three year deal at a reasonable AAV makes a decent amount of sense for both sides as it would solidify a roster spot for the Red Sox while finally giving Duvall some security going forward.
Health permitting, the Red Sox bringing back James Paxton isn't the worst idea
James Paxton is always a weird guy to talk about. He is almost always productive pitcher when he is on the mound, but his lengthy injury history makes one just hope that he will make his next start. There seemed to always be something going on with him health wise when he was in Seattle, he missed all of the 2022 season after having Tommy John surgery, and Paxton missed time this season with a hamstring issue.
However, Paxton has been pretty good for Boston in 2023 with a 4.50 ERA in 19 starts with 101 strikeouts and 33 walks in 96 innings of work. Paxton absolutely shouldn't get more than a short-term deal given his history, but he is still probably worth taking a flyer on yet again. One note here is that Paxton has had a rough stretch lately and if there is any reason to believe that is related to a potential long-term health question yet again, Boston should probably just steer clear of him.
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