The Opener: Red Sox, Extensions, Free Agency

As Spring Training continues, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day today:

1. What’s next for the Red Sox?

Fans in Boston received terrible news yesterday, as it was reported that likely Opening Day starter Lucas Giolito is suffering from a partially torn UCL and a flexor strain, a diagnosis that could put him at risk for season-ending surgery before the 2024 campaign even begins. The likely loss of Giolito is a huge blow to the Red Sox rotation, which now figures to feature right-hander Nick Pivetta as its lone veteran arm with youngsters Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock, and Josh Winckowski likely to fill out the rest of the rotation in some combination.

Of course, the club could improve its stock in the rotation by looking to add an arm externally. The Red Sox have been connected to both southpaw Jordan Montgomery in free agency and White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease via trade throughout the offseason, though rumors regarding Cease have died down since camp opened last month. While the addition of either of the aforementioned arms would offer Boston a bona fide front-of-the-rotation arm, other options to shore up the club’s rotation such as Michael Lorenzen and Mike Clevinger are available more affordably and would still benefit the team.

2. Will we see more extensions this spring?

Spring Training tends to offer clubs and players a chance to negotiate extensions, before the grind of the regular season begins but after the heavy lifting of the offseason is already complete. We’ve seen a handful of extensions over the past month, with Bobby Witt Jr. and Jose Altuve both reaching agreements in early February while the likes of Mitch Keller and Zack Wheeler agreed to deals more recently.

Aside from those completed deals, there are still some rumored extension possibilities that have yet to come to fruition: The Astros have been candid about their desire to extend both third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder Kyle Tucker, though it’s unclear how likely a deal is with either player. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are known to have had talks with both right-hander Brayan Bello and first baseman Triston Casas since camp opened last month. Will deals for any of the aforementioned players, or perhaps even a deal that hasn’t made its way into the rumor mill yet, come together before Opening Day?

3. When will deals come together for remaining mid-tier free agents?

Much of the conversation regarding free agency as of late has been dominated by Montgomery and fellow southpaw Blake Snell, the top remaining free agents on the market after fellow members of the “Boras Four” Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman landed deals in Chicago and San Francisco respectively. With that being said, they’re far from the only players still looking for work. Lorenzen, who is reportedly seeking a two-year deal, and Clevinger also remain on the starting pitching market, while Ryne Stanek remains available out of the bullpen.

On the positional side of things, even more players remain available. Center fielder Michael A. Taylor is reportedly hoping to land a deal in the same ballpark as the one-year, $10.5MM pacts Kevin Kiermaier and Harrison Bader agreed to earlier in the offseason, while J.D. Martinez and Brandon Belt are the likely best hitters remaining on the market. In addition to that trio, the likes of Adam Duvall, Tommy Pham, Eddie Rosario and Donovan Solano all remain available on the market after turning in solid performances as regulars last year. With a dozen free agents of note remaining on the market and just three weeks until Opening Day, will all these players find homes before the start of the regular season?