BS was called on my supposition that the budget would be the same.
We can't keep Betts & Price and all the contract extensions that kicked in in 2020 and meet the budget, even if we signed zero FAs.
We'd have to trade salary, somehow, someway. I'm not saying it's impossible, and I wish we could have found a way.
It's easy to just say trade Price and half his money for something else. Look, in hindsight and say, trade Sale right after his extension kicked it.
Saying the Sox are/were rich enough to spend more is something we have been saying for 5 years. That was not part of my point. Of course, that solves the problem, but my point was about how we keep Betts in 2020 and 2021 without trading someone like Sale, Bogey, JD plus somehow finding a taker for 1/2 Price without giving up Betts.
Do we trade Bogey & 1/2 Price?
Sale & 1/2 Price (Yes, in hindsight)
JD and 1/2 Price.
(Oh, and I forgot about the Nate re-signing. Do we trade him and 1/2 Price to meet Bett's contract cost?)
We also never replaced Porcello and several others that bolted, along the way.