McAdam: Red Sox Won't Be In On Big Ticket FAs
98.5 The Sports Hub's Red Sox insider Sean McAdam updates Gresh and Zolak with the latest news from the Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas, TX.
The big news is that David Ortiz will accept arbitration from the Red Sox before Wednesday's deadline. Ortiz will likely get upwards of $14 million for the deal, and while it is not the multi-year contract he wanted, the DH could end up making more money out of it.
"He doesn't like the fact he's not getting this longer term security, but that's the sort of way of the business," McAdam said. "If he goes out and has the year he had last year, he'll end up making $26,27,28 million over two years anyways."
While the Red Sox will have their DH back, it may come at a price. Already looking to cut some payroll, McAdam doesn't expect a big splash from the Sox to fill their void in right field.
"They aren't going to be in a lot of big names here," said McAdam. "I think from comments Ben Cherington made last night, we can cross people like Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Beltran off the right field list. He was saying that might be something they address a little bit later in the offseason and said if the season started today, Josh Reddick would be the starting right field."
"You get the sense they aren't going to be in on the big-ticket guys," added McAdam.
The Red Sox will likely go after low-cost, low-risk free agents much like the Yankees did with Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon in 2011. They do have guys like Andrew Miller, Felix Doubront and Alfredo Aceves to fill the back-end of their rotation, and there has been a lot of talk about moving Daniel Bard into the rotation.
But a move like that will have to wait until after the off-season shopping is all done.
"I think a lot of it is dependent on what else they do, or don't do, the rest of the way," McAdam said of Bard. "I think every move they weigh, whether it be for a starting pitcher or potential closer, I think it's all being interpreted through the prism of Daniel Bard. 'If we do this, then give up that, are we better off that way or are we better off moving bard into that role?'"
"He gives them a lot of flexibility and a lot of options because he can do three things; he can start, he can close, or they can leave him where he is. I think that's what they should do," said McAdam. "I think they should leave him in that set-up, high leverage situation."
If you want the latest from the Winter Meetings, this is a must listen!
