On an otherwise brilliant autumn day Sunday, there was the undeniable sense of finality to the proceedings. Game No. 162 will do that for you, especially when so much more was expected.
Instead of taking care of ticket requests for upcoming playoff games, players milled about before the game, saying their goodbyes to clubhouse staff and packing up belongings for a trip home.
But it was more than the end of the year. There was also the feeling that more than a season coming to a close. More than likely, it represented an end of an era.
When the Red Sox next congregate, they will be led by a new head of baseball operations. It's possible there could be a change or two to the coaching staff.
Mostly, however, there was the impossible-to-ignore sense that the 2020 roster will have a vastly different look to it. That's what happens when you go from 108 wins, a title and a parade, to just 84 wins, front office upheaval and the promise or more changes to come.
Start with the pending free agents: Brock Holt, Mitch Moreland, Rick Porcello, and Steve Pearce.
But beyond the obvious names, there were others:
- Was J.D. Martinez playing his final game for the Red Sox? Martinez has an opt-out clause in his contract that would allow him to explore free agency. There's considerable debate as to whether Martinez can do better than the three years and $63.5 million he has remaining. But if he and agent Scott Boras make the determination to look around, know this: the Red Sox will not try to retain him by sweetening the deal.
- Could this have been the final game in a Red Sox uniform for Mookie Betts. Betts is still a year away from free agency and is determined to see what the market has to offer. If the Red Sox get the sense that he's unlikely to re-sign here, regardless of what he's offered, they could solicit trade offers for him this winter.
- The same goes for Jackie Bradley Jr., who, like Betts, is 13 months away from free agency. His final year of salary arbitration eligibility will likely take him up near $12 million for 2020, and with the Red Sox on record in trying to get under the $208 million CBT threshold, Bradley, too, could find himself being dealt.
- In the dugout, Rick Porcello, having already made his last start of the season, is a free agent, and unlikely to return.