The first attempt at making a “splash” this offseason has evaporated as the Red Sox balked at the money and years Adrian Gonzalez was asking for. (rumored to be 8 years and close to $200 million) The outlook for the Red Sox went from looking very bright to pretty dim when Gonzalez boarded a plane to fly back to California without a new contract. So where does Theo go from here?
The Sox need some pop in their lineup to make up for V-Mart heading to Motown. They could stop some of the bleeding by bringing back Adrian Beltre. Oakland announced they were not pursuing Beltre today so the price may not be as steep as it once was. If the Red Sox do bring back Beltre then going after Gonzalez as a free agent next year becomes more complicated. Beltre is going to want a multi-year deal and with Youk at first, the team will be set at the corners. Adam Dunn has already signed and the next best option, Paul Konerko, is likely going to sign with Chicago too. Does anybody have Mike Lowell’s number?
Jayson Werth was one of the Red Sox targets but he has signed with the Nats. Crawford is still out there but signing him will not have the impact that Gonzalez would have had on the lineup and the Yankees are sure to drive up the price. The Winter Meetings start tomorrow in Orlando and Red Sox Nation is not going to be happy if Theo comes home empty handed.
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