Dave Dombrowski is sticking to his guns.
The Boston Red Sox's president of baseball operations has insisted the team doesn't want to spend big on an elite closer, which many read as a sign Craig Kimbrel would land elsewhere in free agency this offseason.
But Kimbrel's market has thinned out significantly, to the point where MLB.com's Richard Justice called Kimbrel's return to Boston a "foregone conclusion."
What say you, Dave?
"Craig did a great job for us, he’s a Hall of Fame reliever,’’ Dombrowski told USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale recently. "But we have not anticipated having a large expenditure for a closer.’’
Dombrowski also added this note about the Red Sox's payroll, which should be baseball's highest in 2019 even if Kimbrel doesn't re-sign:
"Ownership has been great, but we can’t keep them all. We’re going to have to make some hard decisions."
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Boston clearly doesn't seem willing to pay Kimbrel his current desired contract, which reportedly has dropped from its lofty starting point of six years, $100 million. And Nightengale added there’s "no indication" the Red Sox re-sign Kimbrel "unless his price tag significantly drops."
The 30-year-old still is one of the best closers in the game, however. So, if Dombrowski continues to wait out the market and Kimbrel doesn't get other offers, there's still a chance Boston could bring him back on a more palatable deal.
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