Report: Red Sox Prefer Holliday Over Bay, Scutaro Also in the Mix

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com report that the Red Sox are more interested in signing free agent outfielder Matt Holliday than they are retaining Jason Bay.

Citing a rival baseball executive, the article contends that Boston doesn’t intend on keeping Bay. Instead, the club could look to “trade” Bay for Holliday, so to speak, and possibly wind up netting a better draft position in the process.

In a nutshell, if the Sox offer arbitration to Bay, but lose him to free agency, the team will receive two draft picks as compensation, because Bay is a Type A free agent. Signing Holliday would cost the team their first round pick, and if Boston decides to sign Type B free agent shortstop Marco Scutaro, as well, they’ll give up their second round pick.

In essence, the Red Sox, in signing Holliday and Scutaro this offseason, could maintain the same amount of draft picks and actually move up in their drafting order, since the team who signs Jason Bay could very well have a higher draft order.

View the entire breakdown, as well as more hot stove developments, here.