Heyman: Rival GMs Think Red Sox Will Enter Hamilton Sweepstakes
BOSTON (CBS) - The Red Sox have been fairly quiet this offseason -- aside from signing a backup catcher.
But some rival GMs think they'll start to make some noise, which could include a big bang in the free agent market.
CBS Sports' Jon Heyman wrote on Thursday that speculation around baseball is that Boston will soon enter the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes.
While several less-monied teams have been speculated as players for the superstar outfielder, some suggest to keep an eye on the Red Sox.
"Boston wants to do something big and it wouldn't shock me if they became players for Josh Hamilton,'' one competing GM said.
The 31-year-old Hamilton hit a career-high 43 home runs in 148 games for the Texas Rangers last season, adding 128 RBI and 103 runs scored.
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The Red Sox have plenty of need in the outfield and after dumping Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett last August, plenty of money to spend. They could certainly use some pop in the middle of their lineup, and there aren't many other options out there this winter.
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Hamilton, a career .304 hitter, will command a big-money deal, but the Red Sox should be able to trounce other teams in the market for the free agent slugger -- which include Seattle, Baltimore and Milwaukee.
The Red Sox are in need of at least two outfielders, with Cody Ross also a free agent and getting plenty of interest from other teams. While Hamilton will want a long-term contract, he will likely only get offers for three or four years.
If the money, and years, are right, it might be a worthwhile risk for Boston.
