Red Sox Notebook: Is Martin Perez's option suddenly not a slam dunk?; Sox roster shuffling

It had been a foregone conclusion that the Red Sox would pick up Martin Perez's option for 2021.

After all, Perez was the team's second-best starter on an otherwise underperforming staff. His 4.50 ERA was inflated by a poor final start (six runs allowed over four innings). He had entered his final outing with a more-than-respectable 3.88 ERA and even after the final shelling, still finished with a ERA+ of 104.

Moreover, Perez's option for $6.5 million was hardly budget-busting. Add Perez to returning starters Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez, fellow holdover Nathan Eovaldi and emerging prospect Tanner Houck, and the Red Sox would have the framework of a much more competitive starting rotation in place for 2021.

Right?

Perhaps.

But in recent days, there have been hints that the Sox could be balking about the cost of the option. Perez's agent, Felix Olivo, conveyed his thoughts:



https://twitter.com/felixolivo19/status/1320912634816978944?s=20

Perez made clear in the final weeks of the season that he hoped to return to the Sox in 2021. But the pandemic has caused teams to re-examine payroll matters like never before. Some franchises lost more than $100 million in 2020, thanks to the truncated schedule (60 games instead of the standard 162) and the lack of fans (i.e. paying customers) in ballparks.

Worse, there's no guarantee that 2021 will represent a rosier financial picture for MLB. Multiple clubs are reportedly contemplating cutting payroll for next season.

The Red Sox will have until three days after the completion of the World Series to determine whether they're going to pick up the option or pay Perez a $500,000 buyout. It's possible that the Red Sox could decline the option and immediately signal to Perez that they'd be willing to pay him, say, a guarantee of $3 million in base salary with the ability to earn an additional $3 million in incentives.

Of course, passing on the option would immediately make Perez eligible for free agency, and within days, able to listen to offers from other teams. It's notable that Olivo is referencing the New York Yankees, who have three starting pitchers of their own heading for free agency, two of them, like Perez, lefties  -- Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ. 

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It's that time of year for some roster churn -- with plenty more to come.

On Monday afternoon, the Red Sox created some much-needed space on their 40-man roster by outrighting five players. Infielder Tzu-Wei Lin and righthander Robinson Leyer were outrighted from the major league roster, while three others -- lefty Mike Kickham, righties Zac Godley and Andrew Triggs -- were outrighted, declined the assignment and elected free agency.

Those moves left the Sox with 35 players on the 40-man roster. Shortly after the World Series, the Red Sox will need to create space for players who finished the year on the long-term IL: Andrew Benintendi, Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, Kyle Hart, Dustin Pedroia and Colten Brewer.

Benintendi, Sale, Rodriguez and Brewer will all require roster protection. There could be a debate about the need to protect Hart, whose stint with Boston (15.55 ERA, 3.091 WHIP) was horrible. Hart will soon turn 28 and it's unlikely there would be any difficulty in outrighting him back to the Pawtucket roster.

The case with Pedroia is more delicate. The former MVP has surely played his last game after a series of unsuccessful major knee surgeries. It's likely the Sox and Pedroia are currently discussing how to officially end his career, though he has $12 million remaining for 2021 in the final installment of his eight year, $110 million deal.

Eventually, the Red Sox will need additional space to protect a list of players who would otherwise be subjected to December's Rule 5 draft: Bryan Mata, Jay Groome, Connor Seabold, Hudson Potts, Connor Wong, and Jeisson Rosario.