McAdam: Why the recent trend of one-year free agent deals makes a lot of sense for Red Sox this offseason

There hasn't been a lot of activity around baseball this offseason -- a rather predictable outcome, given the landscape -- but what little that has taken place has mostly centered on one-year contracts.

Already, the Atlanta Braves have made two significant signings for their roster, both of which were one-year deals. The Braves landed Drew Smyly for $13 million and more recently, agreed to a one-year , $15 million deal with Charlie Morton.

Could such an approach also work for the Red Sox? The benefits of such deals seem obvious: teams avoid long-term risk with one-year contracts and also avoid "blocking'' prospects. So, for instance, if the Red Sox believe Jarren Duran is the long-term solution in center field, they could sign a center fielder this winter to a one-year deal and not have dead weight on their payroll when it's time to turn the job over full-time to Duran in 2022.

And while players (and their agents) generally are seeking the security offered by long-term deals, the uncertain economic picture for the game could make one-year deals a more attractive option this winter. A player gets a one-year deal for 2021, enjoys a strong season and then is positioned to re-enter the free agent marketplace a year from now when, presumably, the country and the industry have returned to some normalcy.

"I think it could (result in more one-year deals),'' said Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. "I think for every team, it's going to be a little bit different, based on where they are and how they view their needs. The longer the contract, certainly, the more continuity and the more stability you have, but also, the more risk you potentially take on. So if this is a winter where you're looking to mitigate risk, you might be inclined to seek out shorter contracts.''



As Bloom noted, one-year deals are hardly exclusive to this year. In fact, this practice is merely a continuation of an approach that Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has taken in Atlanta. He also signed Josh Donaldson to a one-year deal in 2019 and both Cole Hamels and Marcell Ozuna to one-year deals in 2020.

"I don't know that we know enough, to say that this is so unique to this year,'' Bloom cautioned. "You do see deals like this in every off-season, where there's sometimes players who, for whatever reason, are more inclined to make short-term bets on themselves with the hope of a better long-term payoff.''

Still, the Red Sox would seem particularly well-suited to add players on short-term deals. Though the club has executed worst-to-first turnarounds before (2012-2013, 2015-2016), it's unlikely, particularly given the quality of competition in the American League East, that the Sox are capable of vaulting from the division basement to pennant contender in the span of a year.

Given that, it could make sense for the Sox to add a few players on short-term deals to help them field a more competitive team in 2021, while giving additional time for prospects like Duran, Jeter Downs and Bryan Mata to continue their development -- all without clogging the payroll long-term.

"I think, with where we are, we need to be able to consider all possibilities,'' said Bloom. "I certainly think there are areas where shorter-term commitments could fit but also places where it might make sense to go longer with somebody. The ultimate goal remains the same -- and that's a goal that we hope to achieve over time. But that doesn't mean that a shorter-team couldn't fit and help us along the way.''

The one-year approach would seem to make the most sense in center and second, where some long-term solutions exist in the system, though perhaps in need of more time. But it could also work when it comes to approaching the team's most glaring need: starting pitching.

With Eduardo Rodriguez rebounding from a lost year and Chris Sale still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and unavailable until well into the season, the Sox are in desperate need of innings. They've already been linked to a number of veteran free agents, including Taijuan Walker, Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Corey Kluber, Jake Odorizzi, Rich Hill and Jon Lester.

Some of those starters are coming off seasons in which they underperformed; others dealt with injuries. In both cases, one-year deals provide a safe landing spot for the players while, for the team, also mitigating against the risk of committing long-term to veteran pitchers, many of whom are in their 30s.

"I think it's fair to say that moves into free agency tend to be more fruitful when they're meant to supplement and enhance an existing core,'' said Bloom, "and not (be) the only piece of the puzzle. But they can certainly help and I think they can be additives, regardless of where you are in the cycle. Especially with where we are, we're always looking to compete as much as we can.''