FORT MYERS, Fla. — Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has a good amount of money to spend on the 2022 Red Sox before reaching the new competitive balance tax base threshold.
The union and owners reached a new Collective Bargaining Agreement on Thursday and the base threshold is expected to be $230 million for 2022.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox payroll as of now is at an estimated $201 million. That number could increase with a higher minimum wage and other economic factors in the new CBA.
That said, Bloom probably has in the $24-28 million range before the Red Sox would reach the level where they must pay the smallest luxury tax penalty.
Bloom still needs to add an outfielder and short relievers.
“I do feel we still have room to add position players to this crew,” Bloom said Dec. 1, before the lockout. “Obviously swapping Hunter (Renfroe) for Jackie (Bradley) does change the handedness of our group a little bit. So maybe the dial moves a little more toward a right-handed bat, where before it might have been toward a left-handed bat. But there’s different ways it can come together with the versatility and flexibility that we have. So we’re going to keep looking to supplement.”
Kyle Schwarber, Seiya Suzuki, Kris Bryant, Nick Castellanos, Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham are among the top free-agent outfielders still available.
Kenley Jansen, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, Collin McHugh, Brad Boxberger, Archie Bradley, Adam Ottavino, Joe Kelly, Chris Martin and Alex Colomé are among the top free-agent relievers on the market.
“We still would like to add more pitching,” Bloom said before the lockout. “We’ve got some guys who can fill multiple roles. But as far as short relievers, that is something we have yet to address in meaningful fashion. And we’re going to continue to look at doing that.”
While the base threshold is set for $230 million in 2022, it progressively will increase to $244 million during the five-year agreement, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported.
The Red Sox reset their tax penalties by staying under the base threshold both in 2020 and 2021. Boston hasn’t incurred a luxury tax penalty since 2019, when it paid $13.4 million. It paid a $11.951 million luxury tax after the 2018 season.
So exceeding the base threshold shouldn’t be an issue in 2022 if Bloom feels it will make the Red Sox better.
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