Red Sox make Eduardo Nunez deal official

FORT MYERS, Fla. – It’s official: the Red Sox on Sunday confirmed the signing of Eduardo Nunez to a one-year deal with an option for 2019. To make room for Nunez on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated pitcher Ben Taylor for assignment.

BSJ analysis

— The structuring of the contract is unique and would appear to be designed to help the Red Sox navigate through the competitive balance tax (CBT).

Nunez will make a $4 million base salary, with a player option at the same number for 2019. But the deal also includes a $2 million buyout, which effectively gives Nunez $6 million for 2018, even though it counts only as $4 million toward the CBT.

It’s important to monitor the Red Sox payroll, since, while already over the CBT threshold of $197 million for 2018, they want to be careful not to go over the next threshold level of $237 million. At that level, they would risk dropping ten slots in the June draft and also forfeit $500,000 in international pool money.

— Based on their commitments to date, the Red Sox have approximately $21 million left in their 2018 budget to sign J.D. Martinez without incurring the penalties mentioned above.

They could have the flexibility, however, to structure the deal so that the AAV (annual average value) of the contract is lessened somewhat.

— Here’s an example of how the free-agent market freeze has impacted players: Nunez enjoyed a solid season in 2017, with a .801 OPS for his time with the Giants and Red Sox. And yet, Nunez will take a slight cut in base pay for 2018.

Last year, he earned $4.2 million; this year, he’s guaranteed just $4 million.

It wasn’t long ago the notion of a player taking a pay cut at the age of 30, following a strong season, would have been unthinkable.

Not anymore in baseball’s harsh, new reality.