McAdam: As low-cost free agents flood the market, Red Sox have some options

Ordinarily, this would be the time of the year when the Red Sox would be engaged in bidding for one or two of the premier free agents on the market -- matching the top offer, proposing another guaranteed year, including an opt-out option.

But this is no ordinary offseason for the Sox.

Instead of looking to spend their way out of doldrums that come with an underachieving season with a big-ticket star or two to goose ticket sales and re-make themselves into contenders, the Sox are instead looking to cut payroll.

As such, their forays into the market have nothing to do with Gerrit Cole or Anthony Rendon or any of the other elite free agents. The Sox have to be content with finding value in the bargain aisle as they attempt to re-set their Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) and get under the initial CBT threshold of $208 million.

Getting there will require two pivots:



unloading one or two existing contracts, and filling their current needs with moderately-priced free agents rather than pursuing any of the marquee names.

As luck would have it, three options presented themselves this past week, the result of cost-cutting from other teams. All three could fit into the openings the Sox have on the right side of the infield.

1. Jesus Aguilar, 1B, Rays

Aguilar was designated for assignment earlier in the week by the Tampa Bay Rays, who obtained him from Milwaukee this past July. Aguilar didn't make much of an impact on the Rays' playoff push (.261/.336/.424 with four homers and 16 RBI in 37 games), but he's only a year removed from a season in which he slashed .274/.352/.539 with 35 homers for the Brewers.

You'd have to believe that new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom -- then the No. 2 executive in the Rays' front office -- liked Aguilar enough to help pull off the deal.

The Rays have another few days to try to trade Aguilar, and the Sox might not want to cough up a lower-level prospect to get him via a trade. But perhaps if they wait, Aguila could be released and made a free agent.

After earning just $637,500 last year, Aguilar could be had inexpensively.

2. Greg Bird, 1B, Yankees

Bird elected for free agency earlier this week rather than accept a Triple-A assignment by the Yankees. He carries some significant health risks, having missed a lot of time over the last four seasons with persistent foot injuries.

But in 2015, he had an .871 OPS with 11 homers in just 46 games and he demonstrated some patience at the plate, with a .343 OBP. As a left-handed bat, perhaps Bird could combine with either Michael Chavis or Bobby Dalbec in a platoon at first.

It would be a longshot for Bird to contribute full-time, but the cost will be minimal. He may even have to accept a Triple-A deal with an invite to big league camp.

3. Jonathan Villar, 3B, Orioles

The Orioles placed Villar on outright waivers and assuming he clears, he'll become a free agent. He was set to be arbitration-eligible for 2020 with an estimated salary of $10 million, but it seems unlikely he'll get that on the open market.

Even at a reduced rate, Villar may prove too expensive for the Red Sox. He had 24 homers and 40 stolen bases last year and surely that's worth something on the open market -- even if Villar is only adequate defensively at second base.

But if he could be nabbed on an affordable deal for a year -- allowing additional time for C.J. Chatham to continue his development at Triple-A -- he might be worth the investment for the Sox, who, for now, are looking at Chavis and Marco Hernandez as their only internal second base options.