Boston Red Sox: Sign or pass on these 3 key upcoming free agents

The Boston Red Sox are gearing up for a very important offseason.

After making it all the way to the ALCS last season, the Sox failed to address their biggest needs last offseason, and ended up finishing in last place in the American League East. This offseason, it’s clear the front office has some work to do.

This feels like a pivotal point of the current front office’s regime in Boston. They have some big decisions to make this offseason, but first, they have to decide what to do with some of their own big name free agents. Let’s look at the Red Sox top three upcoming free agents and see whether the team should sign them or let them walk this offseason.

Boston Red Sox key free agent No. 3: Nathan Eovaldi

Nathan Eovaldi was always going to have a tall task ahead of him when it came to replicating his stellar 2021 campaign. Eovaldi finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting, and helped lead Boston on an unexpectedly deep playoff run last season. After struggling with injuries all throughout his career, Eovaldi showed what he was capable of it he could stay healthy for a full season.

The 2022 season saw Eovaldi go back to his injured ways, as he made just 20 starts due to an extended stay on the injured list midway through the season. He was still solid when he was on the hill (6-3, 3.87 ERA, 103 K, 1.24 WHIP) but it remains to be seen whether Eovaldi is going to be able to stay healthy enough to justify a new deal in free agency.

FINAL VERDICT: SIGN (BUT ONLY AT THE RIGHT PRICE)

In the end, Eovaldi still has value, and without him, the rotation fell apart this season. He’s going to be 33 years old and likely won’t command a huge deal, but Chaim Bloom should have a price range he’s willing to re-sign Eovaldi for entering free agency. If he doesn’t surpass it, it makes a lot of sense to re-sign him. But if they end up getting outbid by other teams, there’s no sense overpaying to keep Eovaldi in town.