The solution to the Boston Red Sox payroll problems may come from the Texas Rangers. According to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, the Rangers have held internal discussions about the possibility of trading for one of Boston’s high-priced starting pitchers.
It’s no secret that the Red Sox plan to slash payroll in order to avoid paying the luxury tax for a third consecutive year. The common perception is that a tight budget will inevitably force the Red Sox to let J.D. Martinez walk away or trade Mookie Betts but they won’t need to if they’re able to unload one of their expensive pitchers instead.