The Boston Red Sox's roster isn't going to look exactly the same by the time the 2027 Opening Day rolls around.
Regardless of what happens with a potential lockout , changes are going to come. That doesn't mean a complete roster overhaul, but the Red Sox will surely make some changes. The first deadline to really watch closely is going to be Nov. 20. That is the last Friday before Thanksgiving, which is also the deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players . The vast majority of the Red Sox's roster is under team control, so there are a lot of players Boston is going to have to decide whether to tender or not, including fan favorite lefty killer Romy Gonzalez.
In 2025, Gonzalez played in a career-high 96 games. In 2026, he played in just 19 games and now MassLive.com's Sean McAdam reported that he could be a non-tender candidate this winter.
"Romy Gonzalez," McAdam wrote. "Last year's salary: $1.6 million. Projected salary: $1.8 million. Gonzalez missed the first half of the season recovering from spring shoulder surgery, and in a brief stretch with the team, struggled with a .572 OPS in 19 games. As someone who hits lefties well, he has value, but the infield depth picture is more crowded than ever, making Gonzalez a potential non-tender candidate if he doesn't agree to a lesser deal."
Jul 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Romy Gonzalez (23) rounds third base to score against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If Gonzalez were to be non-tendered, it would be a bit of a surprise. There's no denying the fact that he didn't get much playing time in 2026, but there's talent there to help off the bench. In 2025, he slashed .305/.343/.483 with an .826 OPS, nine home runs, 53 RBIs, six stolen bases and 23 doubles in 96 games played. In 2026, he wasn't at full strength. In 2026, he didn't play his first game in the majors until June 28. At the time, Boston was struggling and needed some sort of spark and Gonzalez arguably was rushed into the lineup to try to help. Unsurprisingly, he struggled out of the gate, which got him demoted down to Triple-A.
Gonzalez was sent down around the trade deadline and never returned to the majors. He would've been an intriguing addition down the stretch. From Aug. 15 through Sep. 19, he slashed .370/.434/.589 with a 1.023 OPS, three home runs and 19 RBIs in 20 games played. Boston probably should've given him a shot, but hindsight is 20/20.
Arguably, Boston shouldn't non-tender him. But this is now a situation to monitor as we inch closer to November.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/onsi as Red Sox Fan Favorite At Risk of Surprise Cut After 3 Seasons .
