Red Sox Free Agency Plans Could Happen Fast and There's Obvious Reason Why originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A lot has to happen in Major League Baseball before we can really understand what the changes will look like over the next couple of years.
With the expectation that baseball is going to face a lockout this offseason, there are a slew of options that could end up happening.
The biggest one would be a potential salary cap, which ultimately hurts teams like the Boston Red Sox. Over the past decade-plus, the Red Sox have proven they're willing to spend with the best in baseball outside the Los Angeles Dodgers, who spend at a level we've never seen before and likely never will again.
But as for how this could impact this offseason and what things might look like over the next couple of weeks to months, it sounds like free agency and trades will happen much faster than we typically see.
According to a recent report from The Athletic, players want to get paid before the lockout, since they know they'll be months without any communication if they wait.
“As the representative for left-handed ace Tarik Skubal, the premier free agent in this class, Boras has a vested interest in a robust market. But he is not alone in his opinion, according to interviews with executives and other agents, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely about the situation.
“They pointed to the artificial December deadline and the uncertainty facing both sides of the labor dispute. Teams will want to set their rosters before the rules change. Players will seek security before the sport goes dark,” Andy McCullough wrote.
This doesn't necessarily put the Red Sox and other teams in a bad spot, but they all have to be mindful of it.
It remains uncertain what's going on behind the scenes with some of these teams, but it's safe to say the Red Sox are doing whatever they're allowed to do to build a very good roster next season. Perhaps that happens over the next month, and we know a lot of what's to come.