Something’s not right on Jersey Street.
Take it away, Barry:
First the Red Sox lost out on Juan Soto, and now they’ve lost out on Max Fried, the pitcher who owns the lowest ERA in all of baseball since 2020. Fried signed with the Yankees on an 8 year, $218 million contract last night. The Red Sox did submit a bid for the lefty, and while we still don’t know what number they put out there, WEEI’s Rob Bradford reports that it was “significantly” worse than the Yankees’ offer.
So what’s next for the Sox? With Fried and Blake Snell off the board, the last remaining elite free agent pitcher is Corbin Burnes, a former Cy Young winner projected to get an even bigger deal. As of yesterday, the Sox were reportedly “readying” their offer for Burns, who is also drawing interest from the San Fransisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays, among other teams. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
As one player after another signs with a competitor, Craig Breslow is doing the rounds in the media, saying things like: “[i]n order to attract free agent talent, you have to be willing to get uncomfortable.” I agree, Craig! One question, though: who are you talking to? Like, you’re the one who makes the decisions, and so you’d have to be the one getting comfortable… right? Unless Breslow is using the media to give himself motivational pep talks, we have to consider that he’s trying to send a message to other members of the Red Sox front office who aren’t prepared to get uncomfortable. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
I mean, really, here he is again: “When there is an opportunity to go out and sign a free agent or to make a trade, if we wait around for the perfect transaction, we’re likely going to be left with nothing. I think moving with a sense of urgency and conviction is really important as it relates to roster construction.” Who is he talking to if not his own bosses? Am I crazy or does there appear to be a rift on Jersey Street? (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Oh, okay, there’s definitely a rift on Jersey Street. With the rumors about Alex Bregman heating up, we’re now seeing reports of a power struggle at Fenway, with Alex Cora and Sam Kennedy pushing for Bregman and Breslow pushing back. It’s bad enough that these types of divisions are happening, but the fact that one of the parties is leaking this information is even more concerning. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
But, hey, all is not lost. The Sox made the Aroldis Chapman official yesterday! And it looks like their graphic design guy is as excited about the deal as we were. Is Chapman pitching in front of a giant Red Sox jersey (not the piping behind his right shoulder)? Why is the ‘R’ in Red Sox warped? Was it too hard (either technically or emotionally) to put him in a Sox uniform?
The #RedSox today signed LHP Aroldis Chapman to a one-year contract for the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/ufm7RjIBIy
— Red Sox (@RedSox) December 11, 2024
Yeah, I don’t know, but things don’t seem great in Red Sox Nation today.