Adam Ottavino seemed like a logical offseason target for the Boston Red Sox, who had an obvious need in their bullpen with closer Craig Kimbrel and late-inning reliever Joe Kelly hitting free agency.
Yet the defending World Series champions chose to rely mostly on internal options while constructing their 2019 ‘pen, paving the way for Ottavino to sign a three-year, $27 million contract with the New York Yankees.
“They called and stuff but it never really got beyond that. It just never got off the ground,” Ottavino said this week of his offseason talks with the Red Sox, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “We kind of put the ball in their court and gave them a chance at the end to see what their level was. They just chose not to engage.”
Ottavino, 33, spent the past seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies. The right-hander posted a 2.43 ERA in 75 appearances spanning 77 2/3 innings in 2018, cementing him as one of the top relievers available on the open market this past winter.
Still, the Red Sox refrained from making a serious bid for the Northeastern product, much to the surprise of Ottavino, who believes Boston’s 2018 World Series triumph might have played a role in the organization spending its money elsewhere.
“I think initially, I did expect them to be in on relief pitching prior to the offseason,” Ottavino told Cotillo. “Once it got going and you just saw their level of involvement, then I kind of felt like they were not trying to spend any money and stay where they were financially. As it kept going, I just started realizing that was more the case.”
The Yankees also signed reliever Zack Britton to a three-year, $39 million contract, further highlighting the difference between how Boston and New York approached this offseason.
