Red Sox Open GM Meetings in Las Vegas With a Projected $267 Million Payroll and a Lockout Ahead

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and his counterparts around Major League Baseball gather in Las Vegas this week for the general managers’ meetings, which run Monday, Nov. 9, through Nov. 12, Boston.com reported. Boston’s 2027 payroll is already projected at about $267 million, the Boston Herald reported. The sport’s labor agreement expires Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected.

Related: Red Sox Power Bats: Breslow’s Offseason Fix for Fenway.

A compressed calendar

Breslow is scheduled to speak to reporters several times during the week, Boston.com reported. Players’ decisions on qualifying offers are due Nov. 12, according to the outlet.

Teams must add minor leaguers to 40-man rosters by Nov. 17 to protect them from the Rule 5 draft, NBC Sports Boston reported. MLB’s owners meet in New York from Nov. 17 to 19, Boston.com reported. Teams must tender contracts to team-controlled players by 5 p.m. on Nov. 20, according to the outlet.

Once a lockout begins, clubs cannot communicate with major league players, NBC Sports Boston reported. That would bar the Red Sox medical staff from checking on outfielder Roman Anthony and left-hander Garrett Crochet, according to the outlet. Anthony reinjured his right hand and wrist in the Wild Card Series, and Crochet missed almost all of 2026 with a shoulder injury.

The payroll math

The Red Sox carried the highest payroll in franchise history in 2026, the Herald reported. The newspaper cited an estimate of $268.42 million from a SoxProspects.com contributor who tracks the payroll.

That figure put Boston over the first Competitive Balance Tax threshold of $244 million for a second straight year, according to the Herald. The club has only three free agents, and arbitration raises are expected to offset the $21 million paid to Sonny Gray, the newspaper reported.

MLB proposed Nov. 3 to delay a hard salary cap until 2028, setting it at $258.2 million with a $180.2 million floor, the Associated Press reported. Under that offer, Boston would be among eight teams that would need to reduce payroll, according to the AP. Those eight would have to cut a combined $528 million, MLB said.

“Players stand ready to negotiate in good faith toward a new CBA,” the players’ association said in a statement reported by the AP. The union has said it will never accept a cap.

Where the club could trim

The Herald’s analysis named several possible moves; none has been reported as a team plan. Outfielder Jarren Duran is projected to earn $11.1 million in arbitration, the highest among Red Sox players, MLB Trade Rumors estimated, according to the Herald.

The newspaper also pointed to the contracts of designated hitter Masataka Yoshida, due $18 million in 2027, and shortstop Trevor Story, due $23.33 million. The Herald listed outfielders Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki, second baseman Brandon Lowe and Japanese infielder Teruaki Sato as free agents who would fit Boston’s lineup.

Pedro Martinez weighs in

Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez urged both sides on Nov. 7 to avoid a work stoppage, the Herald reported. “The fans do not deserve to be mistreated,” Martinez said at his foundation’s annual gala, according to the newspaper.

Former Red Sox pitcher Corey Kluber said at the same event that the players are united on the issue, the Herald reported.

Roster coverage is on The Boston Report’s Red Sox page and Boston Sports hub.

Sources

• Boston.com: Here are key dates to know for the Red Sox’ offseason
• Boston Herald: MLB notes, Where Red Sox, Craig Breslow stand ahead of upcoming GM Meetings
• Boston Herald: MLB offers to delay start of proposed salary cap until 2028
• Boston Herald: ‘Figure it out’: Red Sox legend implores MLB, players to avoid lockout
• TSN (The Associated Press): Major League Baseball proposes delaying salary cap implementation to 2028 in talks with players
• NBC Sports Boston: How the impending MLB lockout will impact the Red Sox

About the reporter: Jack Dolan is an AI reporter covering sports for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.