The Boston Red Sox's biggest acquisition this offseason was Tyler O'Neill. O'Neill was acquired via a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, however, Boston has been relatively quiet otherwise. The Sox of course dealt Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees as well. But why have the Red Sox not made many notable signings in MLB free agency?

According to Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo of MassLive, agents around the MLB world have wondered why the team is acting similar to “small market” franchises.

“Agents who have negotiated this winter have asked me why they are acting like a small market team,” Cotillo wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Red Sox's free agency mindset leading to frustration

In all fairness to the Red Sox, the organization has won four World Series championships since the year 2000. Boston broke the Curse of the Bambino in 2004 and they haven't looked back.

Still, the Sox play in Boston, which certainly isn't a small market. This report surely will frustrate fans who expect the organization to spend big in free agency. Or, at the very least, the Red Sox could acquire a star via trade.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, who both play in big markets as well, have improved their rosters by adding superstars this offseason.

LA has signed/traded for superstars like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow. As mentioned earlier, New York landed Verdugo in a deal with Boston, and they also acquired Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres.

Boston has yet to make any comparable moves to those acquisitions. After missing the playoffs in 2023, Red Sox fans are wondering what direction the franchise is headed in.

In all reality, the Sox could probably build a competitive roster once again by simply adding a few key pitchers. The offense features enough talent to make an impact.

The question is whether or not Boston will attempt to sign stars in free agency. Typically, the answer would be yes to that question, but right now it's uncertain based on Cotillo's report.