Even considering a significant delay in the deal, the club is now shattered when news of Alex Bregman signing with the Red Sox on a three-year, $120 million contract. The club has been luxury tax for the first time since 2022. I was hoping to clear the threshold.
Speaking to Fort Myers reporters on Monday, Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy confirmed that it would be.
“We’re finished now and we expect to end in 2025,” Kennedy said.
The Red Sox currently has an estimated salary of around $248 million, the highest salary in the club’s history, surpassing the previous high of $243.7 in 2019. The top who marks for one year will pay an excess of 20% tax.
There will be additional charges if the club exceeds the thresholds of $20, 40, or 60 million along with a potential pick penalty, but Kennedy says that these higher thresholds are He said he would not be discouraged from spending more under the right circumstances.
“The short answer is to be willing to do what’s necessary to get back into the postseason,” Kennedy said. “CBT thresholds and second or third levels do not look at inhibitors or barriers that must be avoided at all costs. What we are looking at is the closest period and long term competitiveness. It’s about what we have to do to ensure that.”
Kennedy warned that nothing was imminent, but he said the Red Sox would consider additional moves, both during spring training and until the deal deadline. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow suggests the possibility of adding another relief pitcher, and the Red Sox could also sign some of the existing players to sign. Garrett Cloche is one of the obvious candidates.
In both cases, Kennedy called CBT a “guide post” but not a marker to determine the club’s ultimate spending decision.
“We’ll see if there’s any kind of addition here for spring training,” Kennedy said. “There’s flexibility when there’s the right deal you can think of, but we love what’s in the moment and keep our hearts open to opportunities to add.”
Extra innings
The Red Sox announced Monday that they had signed a minor league contract to outfielder Treise Thompson, adding him to the spring training roster as a non-roster invitee. Thompson, the younger brother of NBA star Klay Thompson, has seven years of experience in MLB, but last played in the majors in 2023. … By marking the club’s first full-squad training on Monday, the Red Sox held their annual season-opening team meeting. Meanwhile, Alex Cora, Craig Breslow and Jason Baritek addressed the players to set the tone for the upcoming season. …Sam Kennedy has confirmed that the Red Sox are still pushing the hosts of the MLB All-Star Game by the end of the decade, and the ongoing “Fenway Corner” redevelopment project surrounding the park is not a factor in timing I’ve confirmed that. The Red Sox last held their All-Star Game in 1999, so 2029 marks the 30th anniversary of the occasion. …The Red Sox have sold 1.4 million tickets over the past season. Kennedy said it was in line with where the club was at this point last year.
Original issue: February 17, 2025, 2:47pm EST
