Red Sox Reportedly Outbid By AL Rival For Their Top External Free Agent Target

Boston will have to pick themselves up after losing out on a prized free agent

Scott Neville | Nov 29, 2022

Red Sox Reportedly Outbid By AL Rival For Their Top External Free Agent Target /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are off to a rough start to the offseason after losing their reported top external target in free agency.

Outside of shortstop Xander Bogaerts and possibly right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, the Red Sox were locked in on a former American League MVP that would primarily have fit in as a designated hitter following the departure of J.D. Martinez.

"José Abreu was Boston’s No. 1 outside target," New York Post's Jon Heyman tweeted Tuesday. "The Red Sox met with him as soon as free agency opened."

It sounds as if Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and company were swooning over Abreu, but could not get a deal done despite both sides displaying legitimate interest.

Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that Boston was one of Abreu's preferred landing spots.

Unfortunately, the Houston Astros were able to pry him away from Boston with a massive contract that could be deemed an overpay. The Cuban slugger signed a three-year, $58.5 million contract Monday, covering his age 36 through 38 seasons.

After Abreu showed a decline in power -- he hit just 15 home runs in 2022 -- Boston was wise to stay away at that price.

The Astros can afford to overpay, as they are in a position to go all-in for another championship. The Red Sox need to make multiple moves and can't afford to be hamstrung by more bad contracts this offseason, especially with Chris Sale already costing $55 million over the next two seasons.

Abreu would have been an impactful addition to the lineup, but he wasn't worth the investment for a retooling roster with too many other holes to fill.

More MLB: Here's Seven Teams Reportedly Poised To Make Serious Run For Xander Bogaerts

Published Nov 29, 2022

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