MLB Rumors: Red Sox, Phillies, Among Teams with 'Strong Willingness' to Spend in FA

Spending across MLB free agency exceeded $1 billion ahead of the 2022 season, and this winter could see a similar amount of money doled out to the top players available.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that multiple teams are "indicating a strong willingness to spend," listing the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.

Rosenthal added that the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, who had the 2022 season's second- and third-highest payrolls, respectively, aren't expected to significantly cut costs either.

Aaron Judge, the presumptive American League Most Valuable Player, is the biggest fish on the market. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected him to be worth $324 million over nine seasons.

Shortstops Trea Turner and Carlos Correa could eclipse $265 million on their next contracts in McDaniel's view, and Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson, Jacob deGrom, Carlos Rodón and Brandon Nimmo were all projected for $100 million-plus.

For the Phillies, free agency presents an opportunity to fine-tune a roster that played up to expectations in the second half en route to a National League pennant.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has never shied away from handing out expensive deals to readymade talent. Philly declined Jean Segura's 2023 option, so a run at one of Turner, Correa, Bogaerts or Swanson feels inevitable.

"There are four really good shortstops out there, right?" Dombrowski told reporters at the general manager meetings last week. "I wouldn't get into any specifics on which ones we like, but we like all of them, as I think probably every club in baseball. That's not a revelation. We like them all."

The inclusion of Dombrowski's old employer, the Red Sox, on Rosenthal's list was unexpected.

Boston had the highest year-end payroll in 2018 and 2019 before pivoting in a different direction. The Sox fell to 13th in 2020, and ranking sixth in 2021 was still a departure for an organization that maintained a top-five payroll every year from 2001 to 2019.

This offseason will be a litmus test for ownership.

Not only is Bogaerts a free agent, but third baseman Rafael Devers is also entering his final year of arbitration. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported in October the Red Sox are willing to give Devers an extension worth more than $200 million, but he's holding out for a 10-year pact worth more than $300 million.

The Red Sox traded Mookie Betts when he was one year away from free agency after failing to broker a long-term agreement, so that may be an option with Devers as well.

If that's the route Boston chooses, then no amount of spending on free agents may placate the fanbase in the short term.