Red Sox need to spend big this winter to keep up with Yankees

The Evil Empire has returned, and its shadow has cast over the American League East.

Yes, the New York Yankees' rebuild hit the accelerator last season, as the Baby Bombers came within one game of reaching the World Series in a year which began without postseason aspirations.

That news is no more concerning than it is in Boston, where the Red Sox enjoyed a brief run as kings of the division while the Yankees restocked the cupboards. Despite back-to-back AL East titles, the Red Sox have resumed the role of underdogs, and will need president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to get ownership to open their collective wallet this winter in order to compete with the Yankees in 2018. Here's why Dombrowski needs to spend big:

The market fits their needs

A weak starting pitching market certainly doesn't hurt the Red Sox this winter as the club's main priority will be acquiring a middle-of-the-order bat. Boston certainly missed David Ortiz more than they could have imagined last season, and landing a power threat this winter is essential to future success. Acquiring either J.D. Martinez or Giancarlo Stanton should be the priority, and not landing one of these sluggers shouldn't be an option. If the Red Sox are unwilling to match whatever price the Marlins set on Stanton, they have the financial muscle to land Martinez, and Dombrowski's familiarity with the slugger from their days in Detroit could help. Martinez could slide into the DH role or potentially learn some first base, while Stanton could do the same, or the club could look at trading away an outfielder to address a different need and deploy Stanton in left field.

Last winter, the Red Sox opted to roll the dice with their offense and not sign Edwin Encarnacion - a move partially motivated by staying under the luxury tax. The club did achieve its goal and reset the luxury-tax penalties, but finished last in the AL in homers and struggled to manufacture runs in the postseason. With the luxury tax reset, the Red Sox have no reason not to bypass the $197-million threshold this time around.

Relying on injured stars is a fool's errand

The Red Sox didn't lose many core players to free agency - aside from Mitch Moreland, Eduardo Nunez, and Addison Reed - but injuries have already taken their toll on the roster early in the offseason. Dustin Pedroia and Eduardo Rodriguez are already set to miss the start of 2018 following surgey. Hanley Ramirez and David Price both dealt with injuries throughout last season - Ramirez underwent shoulder surgery but should be ready for spring, while Price should be healthy, though his status will be closely monitored all season long.

Dombrowski believes the current depth in the organization is fine, and he's confident Pedroia will be an everyday player once he returns from knee surgery. But Dombrowski shouldn't have to look further than last season to realize that is a dangerous line of thinking. Price's injury in the spring was an enormous disruption, while relying on Pablo Sandoval ended in disaster. Things can change quick and the Red Sox need to add insurance in the infield. Rafael Devers will endure growing pains, and one hard slide into Pedroia's knee when he does return could land him right back on the DL. In order to alleviate concern, the club needs to sign a versatile player - such as Nunez - in order to protect them at both positions. If that doesn't work, acquiring Ian Kinsler, Zack Cozart, or Yunel Escobar would be an excellent insurance policy.

RED SOX MOCK LINEUP

Their window isn't a big as you think

The Red Sox are entering the peak of their World Series window. Boston's young core of Bogaerts, Benintendi, Betts, and Devers boast an average age of 23, but a number of other players are just a few years away from free agency. Craig Kimbrel and Drew Pomeranz are in the final year of their deals, David Price can opt out after next season, while Chris Sale has just two years remaining. That's potentially 15.6 WAR in 2017 off the roster by 2020. Meanwhile, Betts is about to become much more expensive as he's first-year arbitration-eligible this winter, while both Bogarets and Bradley Jr. are entering their second year of arbitration.

The situation is further complicated by the fact Dombrowski has cleaned out the prospect pool, leaving few young players to eventually come through the ranks. With so few prospects, the Red Sox will have trouble making blockbuster deals to acquire key pieces like they did with Sale and Kimbrel, while they also won't have inexpensive young players coming through the system to alleviate some of the financial burden.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have done a tremendous job with their finances over the past several years. They club has just two players (Masahiro Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury) set to make over $20 million next season, while the young core of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, and Greg Bird have yet to hit arbitration. General manager Brian Cashman also has the club poised to spend big next winter, as they have just $74.2 million in guaranteed salaries for 2019 when the likes of Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Josh Donaldson, and Charlie Blackmon hit the market.

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