The Red Sox will have more financial freedom than most teams this Major League Baseball offseason and Boston apparently intends to take advantage of that luxury.
In a column published to The Athletic on Monday, longtime MLB insider Ken Rosenthal identified the Red Sox as a ballclub with a "strong willingness to spend" this winter. Potentially joining Boston in staging an active, expensive offseason are the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners, per Rosenthal.
Rosenthal's report is in lockstep with late-season remarks made by members of Red Sox brass. Franchise CEO Sam Kennedy expressed excitement about Boston's financial flexibility and how it can assist the "hungry" organization in potentially winning its fifth World Series since 2004. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom also talked up the organization's resources and how they can help the Red Sox "attack" their needs this offseason.
Of course, it remains to be seen how Boston will allocate its funds. The Red Sox have a few free agents who they appear to be keen on retaining, including shortstop Xander Bogaerts and starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Boston also could aggressively seek out external options in hopes of restoring success, potentially with the addition of a legitimate difference-maker like José Abreu.
All is quiet for now, as there have been no notable moves across the big leagues since free agency officially opened last Thursday. But a number of reports suggest this might just be the calm before the storm in Boston.
