News and notes from around Red Sox Nation.
During free agency, fans tend to focus on players who aren’t already on their team. And that’s perfectly understandable — new toys are fun! But free agency also means keeping an eye on 2024 Red Sox players who could end up elsewhere in a matter of weeks. And this doesn’t just apply to the MLB roster, but to the minors as well. As for the Red Sox, prominent minor league free agents include Bobby Dalbec, Reese McGuire, and local boy Jamie Westbrook. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
It wasn’t all that long ago that Bobby Dalbec was looked at as a potential piece of the Red Sox future after he had a strong second half in 2021. That didn’t come to pass, but speaking about future key pieces of the Red Sox, how about Wilyer Abreu? The Venezuelan right fielder probably isn’t going to take home the AL Rookie of the Year Award, but he did just win the Gold Glove. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
With respect to the fun and exciting kind of free agents (i.e. those who aren’t already on your team), Red Sox fans will mostly be focused on pitching. One big name may prove difficult to lure to the East Coast, though. Jack Flaherty — who grew up in LA, went to high school with Lucas Giolito and Max Fried, and just won the World Series with his hometown Dodgers — says he never wants to play for another team. (Adam London, NESN)
That’s the type of thing players tend to say during championship parades, of course; when it comes time to actually negotiate a new deal, money is what matters. So, then, this former GM’s prediction that the Sox will sign Flaherty and Yusei Kikuchi may still come to pass. (Jim Bowden, The Athletic)
Flaherty and Kikuchi could make solid additions to the rotation, but they are far from the big name talents that Sox fans are thirsting for — talents like Juan Soto. And while it doesn’t seem likely that the Sox seriously go after Soto given ownership’s lack of spending in recent years, they are still expected to “check in” on the generationally great hitter. (Jon Heyman, NY Post)