News and notes from around Red Sox Nation.
Did you enjoy last year’s Blake Snell saga? You know, the one where the whole baseball world spent five months wondering where he was going to sign and debating whether the reigning Cy Young winner was even good? No? Really? Well too bad, we’re doing it again! One of MLB’s most prominent insiders reported that the Red Sox have already met with Snell, who appears anxious to move things along a lot faster this year. Snell, who started poorly last year after missing spring training but went on to throw a no-hitter and compile a 1.23 ERA over the last three months of the season, also met with the Dodgers. (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)
Would signing Snell to a sizable free agent deal impact their other plans, including the Juan Soto hunt? Almost certainly, however Sox President Sam Kennedy unequivocally said that the Red Sox will be over the luxury tax threshold next season. Helpful reminder: while the luxury tax threshold sits at $241 million, draft and international free agent penalties do not kick in until a team exceeds $281 million in payroll. According to Spotrac, the Sox currently have just $110 million committed for 2025. (Lauren Campbell, MassLive)
So they have a lot of money to spend! As for whether they will actually spend that money on Juan Soto, one former GM sees them as just the fifth-most likely destination for the future Hall of Famer. (Jim Bowden, The Athletic)
As for Roki Sasaki, don’t expect him to settle on a team until after the New Year. (Ronald Blum, Boston Globe)
In less exciting news, the Sox have made their decisions on which players to protect from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. Prospects Jhostynxon Garcia and Hunter Dobbins have been added to the 40-man roster. Isaiah Campbell and Bryan Mata were designated for assignment to make room. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)