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BOSTON (AP) — Don’t expect any more blockbusters from the Boston Red Sox this offseason, new baseball boss Dave Dombrowski said after announcing a deal with outfielder Chris Young on Wednesday.
The two-year, $13 million contract to make Young a fourth outfielder comes a day after the Red Sox agreed to give potential ace David Price the biggest deal ever for a pitcher: $217 million over seven years. That agreement has not been announced, but a person with knowledge of the negotiations described it to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because Price must still pass his physical.
“I feel good about the roster as it is. I think we’ve been able to address really our biggest needs,” Dombrowski said Wednesday during a conference call. “I think our major moves are done. But when you go into the winter meetings, you never know what happens.”
Young, 32, had been with the New York Yankees since August 2014, batting.252 with 14 homers and 42 RBIs in 318 at-bats this year. He hit .327 against left-handers this season; with its 37-foot-high Green Monster just 310 feet from the plate in left field, Fenway Park seems ideal for his swing.
“One of my major strengths is pulling the ball. I think that Fenway can be advantageous to that,” Young said. “Hopefully, my just-misses, I can get rewarded for that.”
A 2010 All-Star with Arizona, Young has a career .235 average with 169 homers and 528 RBIs over 10 seasons. He will receive $6.5 million in each of the next two years.
The announcement came a day after the Red Sox agreed to terms with Price to become the ace of a pitching staff that lacked one in 2015, when the once-proud ballclub went 78-84 for its third last-place finish in four years. Red Sox spokesman Kevin Gregg said at the beginning of the conference call that the team would not be discussing Price.
But Young said the news was encouraging as his new team tries to bounce back.
“It’s a great feeling to be on a team that’s trying to make those moves and go all the way,” he said. “I think that sends a message to your team, I think that sends a message to your fans of what the goal is.”
Dombrowski said at the end of the season that his goals were to add a pitcher for the front of the rotation and a fourth outfielder to shore up a lineup that is expected to include youngsters Rusney Castillo, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts. Manager John Farrell said Young could play himself into the lineup as more than just a reserve.
“He was at the top of our list,” Dombrowski said. “He fits really what we were looking for as a player.”
Right-hander Roman Mendez was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot.
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