Time for Red Sox to deliver

Team must acquire better players

Ever since the Red Sox traded Mookie Betts, a narrative has followed the club that they aren’t willing to go the extra mile to land the best players.

You hear it on sports talk radio, on the message boards and even whispered within the game itself. The narrative has lingered even as the Red Sox have maintained a payroll in excess of $200 million annually, brought in Trevor Story and extended Rafael Devers. It’s taken root as the club has stumbled to three last-place finishes in the past four years, and it’s festered amid John Henry’s protracted silence.

Coming into this offseason there was hope things might finally be different. The Red Sox had fired Chaim Bloom and replaced him with Craig Breslow, and everyone in a position of authority spoke of how the club’s recent performance was unacceptable.

Big changes were coming. Bold moves were promised. Now, it’s time for the Red Sox to put their money where their mouth is and back up their talk with action.

Nearly a month and a half after the World Series ended, the real offseason is about to begin. Shohei Ohtani has his recordsmashing deal — an eye-popping 10-year, $700 million contract from the Los Angeles Dodgers — and with his business finished the rest of the free agent class should follow.

That includes the top starting pitchers like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell, at least one of whom the Red Sox need to get.

So far Breslow has said all the right things. He emphasized throughout the Winter Meetings how starting pitching is the top priority and that they aren’t going to do anything to inhibit their chances of landing a top arm. Underwhelming as the meetings were, the Red Sox were argu

Maraganis (126), Bob Michaud (132), Spencer Tenerreilo (144), and Demetri Torres (157).

Girls wrestling

BILLERICA SEVENTH >> The Indians picked up 52 points to earn seventh at the St. Paul’s Women’s Tournament.

Mia Annello wrestled to second place at 107, Sofia Vraka took second at 152 and Jazmeen Elouazzani placed fourth at 152.

LUNENBURG/AYER SHIRLEY 5, MINUTEMAN 1 >> Lunenburg/ayer T/G-D SWEPT >> The Tyngsboro/groton-dunstable Shirley captured the Lowell Cobblestone girls were defeated by Grafton, Tournament at the Tsongas 74-43, during seasonopening Center in Lowell with action in Whitinsville. the dominant win. Drew Short tallied two

On the boys side, Grafton goals and an assist for the topped Tyngsboro/grotondunstable, winners, who received a 65-40, despite goal and two assists from

Swimming

a double win from Joey Mullek, who captured the 200 free and 100 butterfly.

Boys hockey

Andrew Nicosia. Garrett Hakey was strong between the pipes.

GLT/NASHOBA 5, LOWELL 2 >> Sophomore Ned Akashian and freshman Danny Gleason each had a goal and assist for Lowell as the Red Raiders fell to Greater Lowell/nashoba Tech in the consolation game of the

Lowell Cobblestone Tournament. Junior Marcus Novo and sophomore Shane Peters each had an assist. LOWELL 6, MINUTEMAN 6 >> The Red Raiders skated to a high-scoring tie with Minuteman Regional as senior Teddy Steinberg and sophomore Ned Akashian each scored two goals in the firstround

game.

Freshman Danny Gleason and eighth-grader Brodie Anderson had one goal apiece in the season opener. Gleason also contributed two assists, with Akashian, senior Marcus Novo, sophomore Shane Peters and eighth-grader Jack Blaschke each had one.