Let's go with what we know.
Starting luxury tax payroll for 2022 was $242M. Tax limit is $232M for 2023. Say that's what Henry wants for 2023 budget.
Comparing apples to apples (this is for Moon), Sox have 16 expiring contracts (some have already been traded away) totaling $118M, including Price's contract. To get in line with 2023 tax limit, we have $109M to spend for 2023.
Let's get the big elephants out of the way.
Devers will cost us $10M, minimum, Xander say $10M maximum, and Whitlock's new contract will give us delta of $4M. Assuming Pham and Sox agree on mutual option, that's another $6M. That's total of $30M, leaving us with $79M to spend.
With that what we have is as follows
C Wong
1B Casas
2B Story
SS Xander
3B Devers
DH Hosmer
LF Pham (mutual option for $6M picked up)
CF Duran
RF Verdugo
Would you spend any more to upgrade this lineup? Or spend it all on pitching? Remember that we rank 14th in team ERA in AL while we are second in runs scored.
SP1 Sale
SP2 Pivetta
SP3 Bello
SP4 Whitlock
SP5 Winckowski
Bullpen
RP Barnes
RP Houck
RP Schrieber
RP
RP
RP
RP
RP
IF I'm Henry, I'd want to know how Bloom is going to fill these openings before I open up my wallet. Come on folks, fill out the roster within the budget. Then you can go to Henry and say with another $30M, we can sign an ace and increase our chances of winning the world series.
Bottom line is other than Bello and Casas, who came on aboard within last month, what youngster has made a case that our farm is producing? Are we still couple of years away?