3 Boston Red Sox who won't survive the MLB Winter Meetings and why

This offseason may be the most important offseason that the Boston Red Sox have had over the last ten years. As the "Juan Soto sweepstakes" got underway, the Red Sox shocked everybody and thrust themselves into the middle of the entire thing by having a meeting with Soto that reportedly went very well.

Boston is set to have a good, but very expensive, offseason. If all goes right, they will spend well over half a billion dollars and they may make a blockbuster trade or two. But with all that said, there's going to be players that won't be brought back.

There will be players that many expected to return to Boston that won't be offered a deal in free agency. There may also be prospects that are dealt in a big trade to acquire a pitcher or an outfielder.

Who are the most likely players that won't be with the Red Sox by the end of MLB's Winter Meetings?

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3. RHP Kenley Jansen

The Boston Red Sox are heading towards a new era of Red Sox baseball, and this is going to come at the cost of some of their veterans. One of the veterans who's absolutely on his way out the door is the future Hall of Famer closer Kenley Jansen.

FanSided's Nick Villano has already predicted the Red Sox to sign San Diego Padres closer Tanner Scott to replace Jansen.

"The Boston Red Sox are expected pretty extreme losses this offseason, but there’s talk they are preparing to spend to replace them," Villano wrote. "One of the losses is closer Kenley Jansen. The Sox opted to keep Jansen past the deadline, but they will no doubt let him find a new team with his advanced age and no real practical ties to a championship roster."

Moving on from Jansen is going to be one of the more obvious moves that Boston makes. Whether they land Scott or not, the Red Sox closer in 2025 won't be Jansen. It's more likely that Jansen signs a one-year deal with another team to either be their closer or the setup man. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been linked toa reunion.

2. OF Miguel Bleis

One piece of the Red Sox offseason that's going to help them catch the top powerhouses of the American League is using the trade market. There are a lot of different players expected to be available in the trade market and the Red Sox could use just about all of them.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger is being shopped and he would fit in with the Red Sox. The St. Louis Cardinals are shopping Ryan Helsley and Sonny Gray who would be good fits with Boston. The Chicago White Sox are shopping Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet as well. Boston could use another ace or a star outfielder.

But if the Red Sox are going to chase these top trade targets, they're going to need to deal from their own farm system. The most likely top prospect to be dealt is outfielder Miguel Bleis. Let me explain.

Bleis is Boston's eighth-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline. Boston's top five is loaded with talent, so it's safe to assume those five would be off-limits unless the Red Sox receive an insane offer. Bleis is the fourth highest-ranked outfielder in the system, ranked behind a few generational talents. If the Red Sox make a move, Bleis will likely be the piece being traded.

1. OF Tyler O'Neill

The Red Sox have multiple free agents projected to leave in free agency. One of them is the consistently good outfielder Tyler O'Neill, who's been with Boston for one year, but he posted six solid seasons in St. Louis before that. Last season, O'Neill posted a 2.7 WAR in 113 games while slugging 31 home runs with an OPS of .847.

FanSided's Nick Villano projected O'Neill to leave the Red Sox and sign with the Chicago Cubs. Spotrac projects O'Neill to sign a three-year, $49 million contract.

"We can totally see the Chicago Cubs make a big move this offseason, but they might not have the appetite to really go for it," Villano wrote. "There are a few players who the Cubs will court, including some of the biggest free agent outfielders on the market, but O’Neill would be a great plan once it’s all said and done. He’s under 30 years old, so he should have a few more good years in him. He may be on fraud watch, but it’s just as possible that he is just scratching the surface of his potential."

Boston is going to have its sights set on some of the bigger free agents including Juan Soto. The Red Sox are also a candidate to try to swing a trade for Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger. Either way, it's hard to imagine O'Neill back in a Red Sox uniform in 2025.