The Major League Baseball winter meetings start today and run through Dec. 14, in Orlando, Florida. This is where the rubber meets the road in the offseason. As of Thursday of this past week, only one of the dozens of free agents available for signing has been signed. By the end of the winter meetings, most, if not all, of the key free agents will have signed contracts.  

As of Thursday, Doug Fister, who the Red Sox picked up on waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on June 23 of this past season, was the only free agent signed. He was signed by the Texas Rangers. Fister, who was with the Salt lake City Bees when the Sox claimed him, showed some promise down the stretch with the Sox. After losing his first five games, while playing himself into shape, he pitched and won a complete game one hitter against Cleveland on Aug. 22, and, after going seven innings against Baltimore, lost a 2-1 heart breaker, he then beat the Yankees and Toronto on Sept. 1 and 6, holding both teams to one run in seven innings.

Fister is not the only Red Sox player to opt for free agency, Rajai Davis, Blaine Boyer, Chris Young, Mitch Moreland, Eduardo Nunez, Fernando Abad and Addison Reed are there for the taking for the team willing to spend the money. Davis was only in Boston temporarily anyway and the loss of Boyer and Abad will not significantly affect the Sox. 

Young and Moreland are veterans, neither of whom could be considered a big loss, particularly if Dave Dombrowski picks up one of the big bats available.  

Nunez and Reed could play major roles for the Sox in 2018 if they could be enticed back. Nunez couldn’t be expected to duplicate his offensive production from 2017 but his good bat and defensive versatility could be a key, particularly if the Sox have to give up some of their youth to get a bat and some help in the starting rotation and in the bullpen. Reed’s value as a set up man for Kimbrel should not be underrated.

Dombrowski seems poised to make some moves in the near future, perhaps to get that big bat and some pitching help. He indicated recently, when talking with MLB’s Ian Browne, that he feels they may need some back up in the starting rotation in case one of the five get injured. He listed the five starters as Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz, Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright.

Obviously Sale and Pomeranz just came off great years, despite Sale’s faltering down the stretch. Porcello should rebound after a horrendous year and, while he may not ever win a Cy Young again, he has been a winner his whole career with the exception of last year. Then there are the other two.  Rodriguez, who appears to have great potential, has won 19 and lost 20 with a 4.23 ERA in three years with the Sox and has been often injured, averaging just 22 starts per year and only a high of 137 innings pitched last year.

The 33-year-old knuckleballer, Wright, who was 1-3 with an 8.25 ERA in five starts before undergoing season ending knee surgery last year, has really only had one full year as a starter, going 13-6 with a 3.33 ERA in 2016 and contributing to the Sox Division win. However, even in 2016, he missed the last month of the season and had had only 11 Major League starts before 2016.  

Dombrowski may need more starting pitching help than he thinks. Lefty Brian Johnson, who was 3-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts at AAA Pawtucket last year and who also had five spot starts and a 2-0 record with the Sox during the season may help fill that gap.  

Dombrowski will be busy this next week and may pull off a major deal or deals to resolve some of the weaknesses. A year ago this past week, on December 6, 2016, he  picked up Tyler Thornburg from the Milwaukee Brewers. All he gave up to get Thornburg were right handed pitcher Josh Pennington, shortstop Mauricio Dubon, and a third baseman by the name of Travis Shaw.

While the Red Sox spent over half a season trying to find a third baseman, Shaw hit .273 in 148 games with 31 homers, 101 RBI’s, a .523 slugging percentage and was named MVP for the Brewers. Dubon hit .274 between AAA and AA and is regarded highly by the Brewers. Thornburg, of course, has yet to throw a pitch for the Red Sox after undergoing surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in his throwing shoulder. 

Of course, Addison Reed, who the Sox gave up three right handed pitching prospects to get at the trade deadline, and Eduardo Nunez, who they gave up two right-handed pitching prospects to get, are probably both lost to free agency after just two months.  The loss of those five pitching prospects may have been balanced by the contributions Reed and Nunez made to last year’s team but Dombrowski has a reputation for turning franchises around but leaving Minor League systems in disarray. 

In the free agent market, there are several top of the line pitchers, among them Yu Darvish, Lance Lynn and Jake Arrieta. With Sale and a hopefully healthy David Price, the Sox do not need an ace but  don’t be surprised if they make a run at Alex Cobb or even Jeremy Hellickson to round out their starting staff. They could use right-handed starting pitching, they have enough lefties already.

Third baseman Mike Moustakos, and first baseman Eric Hosmer, from the Royals, are two of the biggest bats available and outfielder J. D. Martinez is probably the third most talented and, by the way, most expensive, available. The Indians switch hitting, first baseman, Carlos Santana could be the solution to the Red Sox hitting and first base needs and outfielder Melky Cabrera, a 33-year-old outfielder with a .286 career average might be the bat they need, both of whom should be much cheaper.

Unfortunately, every time the Sox talk about getting a bat or a first baseman, the question revolves around what to do with Hanley Ramirez. It is always, if we get a first baseman, Hanley can DH or if we get a DH Hanley can play first. After his lack of production last year and his general decline since getting the guaranteed contract from the Sox that will take him to retirement, it’s time the Sox realized they could build a much better team if they didn’t have him in the picture. 

President Dombrowski has his work cut out for him, adding the right pieces to a talented team to take it to the World Series. It can be done by trades or by spending the money on free agents. Let’s hope that any trades he needs to pull off will work out for the long run and don’t further decimate the minor league rosters.   

— Carl Johnson lives in Sanford and writes a weekly baseball column for the Journal Tribune Sunday. Contact him at baseballworldbjt@yahoo.com and check out his blog at baseballworldbjt.com.