Dombrowski and Henry willing to ignore luxury tax threshold

News was hard to come by at Fenway Park Monday as the Red Sox formally introduced Alex Cora as their new manager, a move they had officially announced almost two weeks ago.

But there was a fairly significant announcement about 2018 and it came in the form of a one-word answer from president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

Dombrowski was asked if it would be a goal for the payroll to remain under the CBT (competitive balance or “luxury” tax) for 2018.

“No,’’ responded a succinct Dombrowski.

Minutes later, principal owner John Henry was asked the same question.

“(Dombrowski) answered the question,’’ said Henry. “He said he could go over.’’

For 2018, that CBT is set at $197 million. Between existing deals for veteran players, 13 salary arbitration cases, a handful of players with 0-3 major league service time and benefits and insurance, the Sox are already bumping up against that figure.

Going over that threshold could allow the Sox to add a big bat – either as a free agent or in a trade for a veteran player – to improve an offense that finished in the middle of the pack in the American League and dead last in homers.

If the Sox want to target someone such as free agents J.D. Martinez or Eric Hosmer, or a trade target such as Giancarlo Stanton or Jose Abreu, they now have the financial flexibility to do so.

The candid answers are noteworthy for two reasons. First, in the past, the Red Sox have skirted answering the question about payroll limits, maintaining that by announcing their budget publicity would be tantamount to giving opponents a competitive advantage. The fact that the Sox unabashedly announced their intention to spend as need be is a departure from the past, even it merely acknowledges the need to improve a roster which was good enough to win the division during the regular season, but merited only one post-season victory.

Second, it’s a signal that the Sox are intent on going after a premium bat to upgrade the offense. In the past, the Red Sox have been most aggressive in seasons in which they underachieve and recognize the need to make significant improvements.

Last year, the team tacitly acknowledged that it was attempting to remain under the CBT so as to re-set its tax rate for future seasons. Now that it has done so, the Sox have more flexibility to go over for 2018, knowing that the penalties won’t be as onerous.

On another matter, Dombrowski confirmed the obvious: that none of the Red Sox free agents will be given qualifying offers.

The eligible free agents would include Chris Young, Mitch Moreland, Fernando Abad, Robbie Ross Jr., Josh Rutledge and Kyle Kendrick. Other Red Sox free agents – Eduardo Nunez, Addison Reed, Rajai Davis, and Doug Fister – aren’t eligible to be given qualifying offers because they were traded in the final year of their existing deals.

The qualifying offer this winter is worth $17.4 million. Players have 10 days to decline or accept. Should they accept, they’re bound to the team for 2018 and forfeit their free agent status; if they decline, they become free agents, but with compensation attached.

For a team like the Red Sox, which remained under the CBT last season and didn’t get revenue sharing money, signing a qualified free agent player would cost them their second-highest draft pick next June and $500,000 in international pool bonus money.

Martinez, who was dealt from Detroit to Arizona during the season, is ineligible to receive a qualifying offer. Hosmer, by contrast, could be another free agent target of the Sox, was Monday given a qualifying offer by the Kansas City Royals.

“If two players are exactly even in your mind and one has a qualifying offer and one doesn’t, does it make a difference? Yes.’’ asked Dombrowski. . “Of course, it depends on which players you’re talking about. But if it was someone we really wanted and thought was the (right) guy,  would it make a difference for us? No.’’