Boston Red Sox

Free-agent relief pitcher Kenley Jansen has agreed to a two-year, $32 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Jansen burst onto the MLB scene in 2010 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 0.67 ERA in 25 games.

Two years later, he became Los Angeles' full-time closer, a role he held for 10 years.

The three-time All-Star and 2020 World Series champion amassed 350 saves and a 2.37 ERA during his time in Dodger Blue.

After the 2021 campaign, Jansen signed a one-year, $16 million contract with the Braves. He went 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 41 saves in 2022.

Jansen has now moved on to his third team in three years. Boston is getting one of the game's most accomplished closers as he enters his 14th MLB campaign.

It could help solidify the bullpen after the Red Sox used a closer by committee last season with no one who reached double-digit saves. John Schreiber, Tanner Houck and Matt Barnes were among those who filled the role as the squad finished in last place in the AL East at 78-84.

Free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts is being pursued by multiple teams hoping to pry him away from the Boston Red Sox, and a National League franchise is reportedly pulling ahead of the other suitors.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Arizona Diamondbacks are considered to be "among the most serious" potential landing spots for the four-time All-Star. Morosi noted that Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen was a top executive with the Red Sox when Bogaerts made his MLB debut in 2013.

On Sunday, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reported that there are "eight to 11 teams with interest" in the 30-year-old shortstop, naming the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Abraham also stated that the Red Sox have not made a competitive offer to retain Bogaerts.

The Diamondbacks are looking for an upgrade after relying on Geraldo Perdomo, who did not make an offensive impact last season. Nick Ahmed played only 17 games because of a shoulder injury that required surgery. Arizona finished 74-88 and missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

The Phillies on Monday reportedly reached an agreement with Dodgers free-agent shortstop Trea Turner on an 11-year, $300 million deal, which all but rules them out on Bogaerts. The shortstop market has boomed recently, as Corey Seager's 10-year, $325 million deal with the Texas Rangers set the benchmark last offseason.

In addition to Bogaerts, there are multiple top-notch shortstops remaining on the open market, including Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Jose Iglesias.

A two-time World Series champion, Bogaerts has been one of the faces of the Red Sox franchise for the last 10 years. He earned his fifth Silver Slugger Award last season after hitting .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBI. He was also a finalist for a Gold Glove Award for the second time in his career.

Wherever Bogaerts lands, he will undoubtedly be a difference-maker.

The Boston Red Sox have "been in touch" with the representatives for star slugger Aaron Judge, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

However, Cotillo cautioned that Boston "is not one of the most aggressive teams showing interest in the reigning American League MVP."

The New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants are considered to be at the top of Judge's list. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported Monday that "other teams remain on the periphery" and that "no prominent mystery team has emerged."

That doesn't mean Boston is out of the race.

But Cotillo's report came off as a sort of preemptive damage control so the Red Sox could say, "Hey, we tried," with the biggest MLB free agent. That's because a deal of the magnitude Judge will command would run counter to how the franchise has operated in recent years.

The Sox traded Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020 instead of extending his contract, and the same thing might be happening with third baseman Rafael Devers. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Nov. 9 that "there is plenty of work to do to complete a deal" with either Devers, who is due to hit the open market in 2024, or free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

Fans would be thrilled to see Judge prowling the Fenway Park outfield for 81 games a year, but they'd also be right to question why Boston would play hardball with Betts, Bogaerts and Devers and then turn around and meet Judge's massive asking price.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported last week that the Yankees offered Judge an eight-year contract worth around $300 million, and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported it will take a nine-year deal to get his signature.

As things stand, Boston is projected to open 2023 with a starting outfield of Alex Verdugo, Enrique Hernández and Rob Refsnyder. Judge would clearly offer a massive upgrade.

Under a different front office, there might have been a chance for that to become reality, but it's certainly not how chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has operated since replacing the free-spending Dave Dombrowski in October 2019.

Japanese free-agent pitcher Koudai Senga has drawn interest from the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old had a 1.89 ERA across 23 appearances for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks last season in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Across 11 professional seasons, he has a 2.42 ERA in 275 games while averaging 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

He filed for international free agency in October and has become one of the top players still available on the market.

Michael Mayer of Metsmerized provided a breakdown of Senga's repertoire:

Scouts also got a chance to see him against American hitters as he helped Japan beat the United States in the gold medal game at the 2020 Olympics.

Senga is drawing significant interest around the majors, with the Angels hoping to pair him with fellow Japanese star Shohei Ohtani. The Red Sox could offer Senga a major market, while the Blue Jays could be close to contention after finishing 90-72 last season.

These teams will still have to compete with others who have already made a move for Senga.

Morosi previously reported the Red Sox and New York Yankees had already spoken with Senga's representatives, while the New York Mets and San Diego Padres met with the pitcher himself, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Chicago Cubs have also monitored him, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.

With aces Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander already signed, it could force teams to be more aggressive in pursuing Senga.

The Boston Red Sox have not made a "competitive offer" to Xander Bogaerts in free agency, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe.

Bogaerts "has been meeting with interested teams this weekend in person," Abraham added.

Additionally, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday that Boston's offers to Bogaerts "haven't come close to enticing him to stay."

The news is somewhat surprising, especially after Sean McAdam of Boston Sports Journal reported in October that the Red Sox had met with the star shortstop to relay that retaining him was their "top priority."

Additionally, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said at the time that the club wanted to build around Bogaerts, per McAdam:

"That's no different than where we've been. Our position hasn't changed on that. I've said this before, but nothing I say really matters unless there's a deal. But our position has been the same—that we want to keep him here for a long time and we want him here on a deal that we're going to look back on and say, 'This was great for everybody.' ... We want to build around him and win."

Bogaerts, who has spent his entire 10-year career with the Red Sox, opted out of the final three seasons and $60 million on the remainder of his contract in November to become a free agent and search for a more lucrative deal.

Before the 2022 season, the Red Sox offered Bogaerts a contract that would have paid him $90 million over four years, which would have run through 2026. The $22.5 million per season on that offer was only slightly higher than the $20 million per year he was making.

In April, one of the shortstop's friends told Jon Heyman of the New York Post the offer was viewed as a "slap in the face."

Bogaerts became a key cog in the Red Sox lineup since making his major league debut in 2013. The 30-year-old has helped the club win two World Series titles, and he has won five Silver Slugger awards, in addition to being selected to the All-Star Game four times.

And while the BoSox had a tough 2022 campaign, finishing last in the AL East with a 78-84 record, Bogaerts was arguably the team's best and most consistent hitter, slashing .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI and eight stolen bases in 150 games.

If Bogaerts walks in free agency, it's reasonable to believe the Red Sox will shift Trevor Story back to shortstop from second base in 2023. However, they would then have questions about who to deploy at second; at this point, it would likely be Christian Arroyo unless they add another second baseman on the open market.

Bogaerts is one of four premier free-agent shortstops available this offseason, joining Trea Turner, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson.

The Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are among the teams interested in Bogaerts, according to Abraham. The Cubs have Bogaerts as their "top priority," per Nightengale.

It's rare for the Tampa Bay Rays to win a free-agent bidding war against the Boston Red Sox, but Zach Eflin's preference to play close to his home was a deciding factor in the race for his signature.

Per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox were confident they had an agreement in place with Eflin for three years and $40 million.

Speier noted Eflin took that offer to the Rays, who were willing to match it. Joel Sherman of the New York Post and MLB Network first reported the right-hander agreed to a deal with Tampa.

Eflin was born in Orlando and continues to live in the area. The Athletic's Chad Jennings reported he wanted to give the Rays a chance to match Boston's offer so he could pitch close to home.

When the Rays decided to match, Eflin chose to take their deal.

ESPN's Jeff Passan noted this marks the largest free-agent contract the Rays have given out in franchise history.

The $40 million commitment to Eflin is also the fifth-largest deal in Rays history. Blake Snell (five years, $50 million), Kevin Kiermaier (six years, $53.5 million), Evan Longoria (six years, $100 million) and Wander Franco (11 years, $182 million) are the only players ahead of him.

Each of those four players were already with the Rays and signed extensions. Snell and Longoria were traded before the end of those deals.

Losing out on Eflin will only add to the frustration Red Sox fans have been feeling with the team's lack of free-agent activity in recent years. Some of it can be attributed to the residual effect of the front office's aggressive push when Dave Dombrowski was president of baseball operations.

The Red Sox still had the sixth-highest payroll in MLB at $225.7 million last season. But they have been "far apart" in extension talks with Rafael Devers this offseason, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Xander Bogaerts, who opted out of his deal in November to become a free agent, is still talking with the Red Sox. The four-time All-Star is also on the radar for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Losing out on Eflin to a division rival also hurts Boston's attempt to get back into playoff contention. The Red Sox finished last in the American League East in 2022 with a 78-84 record.

The Yankees, Rays and Toronto Blue Jays all made the playoffs in the division. The Baltimore Orioles are improving and were in playoff contention until the final week of the season. They finished with a winning record (83-79) for the first time since 2016.

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The Boston Red Sox missed out on their top choice in free agency when José Abreu chose to sign with the Houston Astros.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the 2020 American League MVP was Boston's "No. 1 outside target" and the team met with him as soon as free agency opened on Nov. 10.

The Astros announced Monday they signed Abreu to a three-year contract. Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle added the deal is expected to be worth around $60 million.

Abreu is also believed to have thought highly of the Red Sox when the free-agent process began.

Bruce Levine of 670 The Score (h/t Adam London of NESN) reported on Nov. 15 that Boston was "high on the list" of potential landing spots for Abreu. The Astros, Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins were also mentioned.

It's unclear what Boston's plan is this offseason coming off a 78-84 record and last-place finish in the AL East in 2022.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted Red Sox ownership has indicated "a strong willingness" to spend. Team president and CEO Sam Kennedy recently told Michael Silverman of the Boston Globe they made an offer to Xander Bogaerts and have engaged in extension talks with Rafael Devers.

If the Red Sox had been avoiding spending in free agency recently to avoid the luxury tax, that shouldn't be a problem this offseason. Their payroll is currently $64.5 million, down from $225.7 million last season.

Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, their two highest-paid players in 2022, are both free agents. They made a combined $39.35 million.

Abreu would have been a natural replacement for Martinez at designated hitter, though he's also capable of playing first base. The 35-year-old hit .304/.378/.446 with 15 homers, 40 doubles and 75 RBI in 157 games with the Chicago White Sox last season.

Boston's designated hitters collectively hit .264/.331/.432 with 19 homers and 70 RBI.

Offense wasn't the problem in Boston last season. The team ranked in the top 10 in MLB in batting average (.258), on-base percentage (.321), slugging percentage (.409) and runs scored (735).

Re-signing Bogaerts would go a long way toward helping Boston stay at that level in 2023. The front office needs to find pitching to make the team a playoff contender. The pitching staff had the sixth-worst ERA in the league (4.53) and Nick Pivetta was the only starter who threw more than 130 innings.

Free-agent pitcher Corey Kluber indicated his interest in signing with the Boston Red Sox this offseason after already having some contact with the team, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

"I think they're well aware of how I feel," Kluber told Speier (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive).

The 36-year-old lives in Winchester, Mass. during the offseason and could enjoy remaining close to home during the regular season.

Boston also showed interest in each of the last two offseasons, although the pitcher ended up with AL East rivals New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

Kluber, who was limited to eight starts between 2019 and 2020 because of injuries, showed signs of a rebound during the early stages of the 2021 season with the Yankees. The highlight was a no-hitter he threw against the Texas Rangers last May.

The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner finished his first year in New York with a 3.83 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 80 innings.

Kluber signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Rays last year and came through with a 4.34 ERA in 164 innings. The durability was the most important factor, with 31 starts being his most since 2018.

It could make him a valuable part of the rotation for the Red Sox if he signs this offseason.

Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham needs a new home for the 2023 season.

The Boston Red Sox announced that both the franchise and Pham declined the $12 million mutual option on his contract Thursday, making him a free agent. He will receive a $1.5 million buyout.

Boston acquired Pham from the Cincinnati Reds at the 2022 trade deadline.

His stint in Cincinnati was marked by a fantasy football dispute with then-San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson that turned physical. He received a fine and a three-game suspension for slapping Pederson.

Pham seemed to find his footing when he arrived in Boston before tapering off toward the end of the year. In 53 games with the Red Sox, the nine-year veteran slashed .234/.298/.374 with six home runs and 24 RBI. Comparatively, he hit .238/.320/.374 with 11 homers and 39 RBI in 91 games in Cincinnati.

Pham was drafted in 2006 by the St. Louis Cardinals but made his major league debut in 2014 after spending nine seasons in the minors. He developed into a consistent producer at the plate, and in 2017, he became the first Cardinals hitter since 1900 to record at least 20 home runs, 20 doubles, 20 stolen bases and a .300 batting average in the same season.

The 34-year-old was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays midway through the 2018 season. He was then shipped to the San Diego Padres in December 2019, and he spent two seasons with the club before departing as a free agent in 2022.

By letting Pham walk in free agency, the Red Sox will lose some outfield depth as well as a veteran presence in their dugout. There are multiple teams that could use Pham's consistent production, so he will likely have his fair share of suitors on the open market.