The Red Sox are not one of the teams in the mix for James Shields, according to a major league source.
There was a report Tuesday by Jon Morosi of Fox Sports that Shields had fielded multiple offers from suitors and was expected to make a decision by the end of the week. The Cardinals, Yankees, Astros, and Padres have been mentioned, but the Red Sox continue to be out of the big ticket pitcher market because they believe they have five solid starters with youthful backup in Henry Owens, Matt Barnes, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Brian Johnson.
Shields was seeking a reported five-year deal at $110 million, which kept teams away. There’s no downside to Shields except that he’s 33 and has not been a good postseason performer, but for eight straight seasons he’s produced 30-plus starts and 200-plus innings. He’s also considered a great leader.
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So far, the Yankees have stayed out of the big-ticket pitcher market as well. But if Shields has lowered his demands, as it appears he has given the new surge of teams making offers, then the Yankees could be a player.
Follow Nick Cafardo on Twitter at @nickcafardo.