Red Sox 'Discussed Trading' All-Star Hurler To NL Foe Last Trade Deadline

Boston almost moved on quickly from an important asset

Scott Neville | Feb 16, 2024

Red Sox 'Discussed Trading' All-Star Hurler To NL Foe Last Trade Deadline /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox's spring training has an abnormal feel to it this winter as the expectation is that the roster construction could be far from over.

While media members ask who the Opening Day starter will be, many are hopeful that the answer is an external add such as Jordan Montgomery -- but manager Alex Cora has to act as if the team is set and pray for additional support.

What creates the most eerie feeling is that some of the players walking around Fort Myers could end up traded at any moment. That's not usually the case by this point in the winter.

The Red Sox reportedly have had plentiful trade discussions regarding closer Kenley Jansen, and as it turns out, he's been involved in trade talks for a lot longer than just a couple of months.

"A person familiar with the situation indicated there was nothing close to happening on the Jansen trade front," The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey wrote Wednesday. "But things could change quickly in a market that’s still developing, even as camps are underway. This isn’t the first time the Red Sox have explored Jansen’s trade market. A second source familiar with the situation told The Athletic the Red Sox discussed trading Jansen to Arizona last summer, but never found an offer they liked."

The 36-year-old posted a 3.63 ERA with a 52-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .237 batting average against and a 1.28 WHIP in 44 2/3 innings last season. Most notably, he went 29-for-33 in save opportunities.

While it appears that Jansen still remains more than capable of handling closer duties behind a talented group of set-up men, it's also true that he's owed $16 million this season, the final year of his two-year pact with the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have prioritized frugality in the last few years and would like to get his salary off the books before making notable or semi-notable additions -- they reportedly aren't comfortable being anywhere close to the first luxury tax ladder.

Boston has been stuck in this middling ground of shipping off certain pieces and retaining others for years and needs to pick a direction. That could start with the sale or retention of Jansen this spring training.

At this juncture, it sounds more likely that he stays in-house and any external addition would be underwhelming.

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Published Feb 16, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu