According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Red Sox are listening on several former All-Stars in an effort to shed payroll and stay under the luxury tax threshold.
The Red Sox are listening on former All-Star Xander Bogaerts, outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., and former Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello.
The article stated that “Parting with any of these players would clearly harm the team’s 2019 roster — unless, that is, there was a plan in place to add a different piece to fill the opening. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic tweets that the idea would indeed be to repurpose any payroll savings, perhaps opening the door to some bullpen reinforcements.”
The reigning champions are dangerously close to crossing the luxury tax threshold and would need to shed some serious money to stay under the mark.
Porcello is due over $20 Million over the rest of his contract, Bogaerts is expected to make just under $12 Million in 2019, and Bradley just under $8 Million in 2019 as well.
