ESPN ranks the Sox as one of the " most fascinating teams " during this offseason.
from espn.com:
What makes them fascinating: Everything. After a half-decade of relative irrelevance -- one AL Championship Series appearance muddied by three last-place finishes -- the Red Sox are now in about as good a position as any team transitioning from losing to winning.
They can be very good, very fast. They've got a cadre of excellent hitting prospects. They've got more than $75 million of wiggle room between their current payroll and the first competitive-balance-tax threshold. They've got foundational players in place (Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, Triston Casas, Tanner Houck).
What they need most of all, though, is for their ownership group to recognize how close this team is to being something special and empower chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to spend enough to get there. Chasing Soto is a good sign; just how much they're willing to offer Soto will speak to how good.
Beyond Soto, what Boston really needs most is pitching. For all the promise that position-player prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell and Kyle Teel bring in the short term -- and Braden Montgomery and Franklin Arias a little further down the road -- the Red Sox have not developed starting pitching to match. That's where the money comes in. Even with Lucas Giolito expected to return from elbow surgery, they need a frontline starting pitcher to spearhead their rotation. There are plenty available. And if they choose wisely, the Red Sox have a chance to be scary sooner than later.
The perfect transaction: Sign free agent left-hander Blake Snell.
Full story:
Passan: 12 teams to watch this MLB offseason -- and the perfect move for each