Boston Red Sox rumors: Bargain basement time again in 2022

Looks like it’s back to the bargain basement again in 2022 by the Boston Red Sox, as they seem to be again trying to scrape together their 2022 club.

Let’s get one thing straight, Chaim Bloom has uber respect in this space. That lesson was learned last season when his offseason moves were panned and quiet trade deadline was also knocked.

It’s not happening this time but that doesn’t mean opinions can’t be held on certain moves that are or aren’t being made. Right or wrong, that’s what commentators do.

Boston Red Sox should act like the big market team they are

Boston is a top sports market in the US and it’s the best sports city in the world (not that that’s biased or anything in this space). It is what it is.

This city and region are literally sports fanatics about their teams. They have been rewarded for that enthusiasm with multiple titles but they are never satisfied.

Boston fans expect excellence and when they feel shortchanged, they ain’t happy about it. The Boston Red Sox is owned by a sports conglomerate, maybe the largest in the world.

They’re growing all the time but in so doing, their focus seems to have shifted from the Red Sox to other clubs they own or are trying to buy, whatever.

Football (soccer), hockey, you name it they’ll probably try to buy into it if they’re not there yet. But one can certainly justifiably ask, what’s up with the Boston Red Sox?

As a big, big market club worth tons of money, why is the ownership acting like penny-pinchers once again seemingly in the 2021/2022 offseason thus far?

One big move was spending $10M on a pitcher who may not pitch much this season, James Paxton. Then, they signed a 42-year-old pitcher, Rich Hill (who this space has liked for years).

Meanwhile, Kyle Schwarber, who is a great fit for any number of reasons in Boston, is allowed to still be on the market when absent injury he’s a lock future star in Beantown.

Boston Red Sox posture on Kyle Schwarber is a microcosm of the whole strategy

So, instead of ponying up whatever Schwarber is looking for, which is what a big market team should be doing when they have such a great fit, they’re sitting on their hands.

The word on the street is that he wants maybe $60M over three years. That should be chump change for a conglomerate that throws around hundreds of millions of dollars like frisbees.

This is the Boston Red Sox, the arch-nemesis of the New York Yankees whose media now even seems to acknowledge the Red Sox Yankees rivalry.

When you’re in that league, folks, you are in big-time baseball. You matter. When you matter, the ownership should be willing to allocate the resources which clearly seem abundant.

That means keeping that team where it should be, at or near the top every season. Penny-pinching on players like Schwarber isn’t what the fanbase is looking for at all.

It certainly isn’t when you dole out $10M for a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery who may or may not even contribute to next year’s team.

In addition, you deal a very good outfielder in Hunter Renfroe who was also a seriously good fit in Boston hitting 31 home runs, to re-acquire Jackie Bradley, Jr. who hit a not so robust .163 last season.

So to put this in perspective, Bradley will be paid $9.5M next season with his 6 homers and .163 batting average for his defense. Paxton as noted will be paid another $10M.

Meanwhile, reportedly, that $20M could probably pay Schwarber who has tremendous potential to hit a ton in Fenway Park and who fits the club like a Nappa leather glove.

In addition, he’s versatile. He can play two positions in the field and can take the DH spot easily when J.D. Martinez likely leaves after next season. He is as close to a no-brainer signing as you’ll find in baseball.

So whether it’s bargain-basement hunting, spending big on injured players, trading production for non-production, or not paying a guy who makes sense in almost every way, something’s not right.

Yet, again, question Chaim Bloom and his strategies at one’s peril. Eating crow was the result before and could very well be again.

To this point, it’s not adding up very well. Yet, if they ultimately sign Schwarber, it will look a whole lot better but that move should have been made before the lockout.

Boston Red Sox fans will have to wait to see how this current season’s roster looks when it’s finalized, but to this point, it doesn’t seem to have improved very much, if at all.