3 Big Moves Red Sox Can Make to Respond to Yankees Signing Gerrit Cole

The New York Yankees made the biggest splash in free agency when they inked Gerrit Cole to a nine-year mega deal worth $324 million. The move filled the biggest need on the Yankees' roster, and now the rest of the AL's contending teams need to facilitate some moves of their own in order to respond.

Here are three significant moves the Red Sox can make in order to counteract the Yankees' marquee acquisition.

3. Trade David Price

David Price could be traded by the Red Sox / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Red Sox are trying to crawl under the luxury tax in 2020, and one of the biggest road blocks towards achieving that is the gargantuan contract David Price is currently inked to. Price is due to make $32 million in 2020 and is under team control through the 2022 season. If the Red Sox were able to unload him this offseason it would allow them to become bigger players in free agent talks.

2. Offload Jackie Bradley Jr. to the Rangers

Jackie Bradley Jr. could fit nicely on the Texas Rangers / Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Jackie Bradley Jr.'s days patrolling center field at Fenway Park could be numbered, and it may be wise for the Red Sox to offload the outfielder for a pitching prospect. And with the Rangers recently dealing Nomar Mazara, there's an opening in the outfield in Arlington. The Red Sox could send Bradley Jr. to the Rangers in exchange for a pitching prospect such as Ronny Henriquez or Yerry Rodriguez. Both are among Texas' Top 30 prospects and could fit in nicely to a lackluster farm system in Boston.

1. Sign RHP Sergio Romo

Red Sox should sign FA RHP Sergio Romo / Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images

One of the Red Sox's biggest areas of weakness in 2019 was their bullpen. Constantly cycling through closers and being plagued with inconsistency, Boston's bullpen was an unmitigated disaster last year. Acquiring a veteran reliever in the offseason would be a great move, and Sergio Romo could be an option to help add some depth to the 'pen. Romo logged 17 saves for the Marlins last year before joining the Twins at the trade deadline. On the year he had a 3.43 ERA across 60.1 innings with 60 strikeouts, which would instantly make him one of the top dogs in the Boston bullpen.