So much for "full-throttle."
Red Sox fans entered the offseason more optimistic than they have been in the past few years. With a new Chief Baseball Officer at the helm of the front office, it felt like changes were coming.
Boston was in on Shohei Ohtani. Then it was Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Two uncompetitive offers later, the Sox entered 2024 without seriously improving the team at any position.
And despite knowing that the big-spending Dodgers were also fighting for free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández, the Red Sox made yet another underwhelming offer to get exactly what the number deserved: nothing.
Source: Red Sox weren't competitive at the end for Teoscar Hernández, with discussions centering around 2-year, $28M framework and then petering out.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 8, 2024
Red Sox Rumors: Boston offered Teoscar Hernandez $14 million per year
Hernández received a staggering pay raise from Los Angeles. After making $14 million last year in Seattle, the Dodgers blew Hernández away with their offer, nearly doubling his salary from last season (he'll get $23.5 million for the 2024 season). Boston, however, reportedly offered him a two-year contract for the same amount of AAV he was earning in Seattle.
Some may argue that LA overpaid for Hernández, but that isn't the true takeaway here. Red Sox chairman Tom Werner made the bold claim that the front office planned to be aggressive this offseason. If this is his idea of full-throttle, Boston fans deserve better.
Since losing out on Hernández, the Sox have reportedly been taking their pursuit of outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler much more seriously, per reports. Soler offers the powerful right-handed bat Boston so desperately needs, but he doesn't offer defense that approaches Hernández's caliber.
Many fans and baseball reporters are at a loss at the Red Sox's repeated efforts to avoid spending money. According to MassLive's Sean McAdam, an unnamed "industry official" stated Jordan Montgomery would be too expensive for Boston's current plans — a shocking statement about an organization which claimed to be in on Ohtani and Yamamoto. If this is the case, the Red Sox will remain uncompetitive in the most competitive division in baseball.
Pursuing Soler, or even Shōta Imanaga, won't prevent Boston from fading into obscurity among big market teams. But that may be all John Henry is willing to allow.