Presented with another annual early-offseason opportunity to cut ties with a certain class of player Friday afternoon, the Red Sox kept everybody instead.
They tendered contracts to four remaining arbitration-eligible players: Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, Romy Gonzalez, and Triston Casas. None have set salaries for 2026; those are due to be decided via the arbitration process that continues in January.
Friday marked the so-called nontender deadline. For the 26 unsigned players on their 40-man roster, the Red Sox had to tender them — commit to signing them to a contract for next season. If they were not tendered a contract, they would have been cut from the roster and become free agents.
The Red Sox’ busy November already had cleaned up their pool of arbitration-eligible players, simplifying their day-of decisions for this stage of the process. Jarren Duran and Connor Wong previously agreed to contracts, avoiding arbitration. Brennan Bernardino was traded. Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Winckowski had been designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster (and as a technicality were nontendered Friday, making them free agents).
The rest of the tendered players are those with fewer than three years in the majors. That group includes Wilyer Abreu, Carlos Narváez, Marcelo Mayer, Connelly Early, and others. They have no say or negotiating leverage in determining their 2026 salary. Early next year, the Red Sox will assign each a number at or slightly above the major league minimum ($780,000).
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.