Relievers Matt Foster, Justin Anderson, Jimmy Lambert, and Steven Wilson are players the Sox can easily replace.
Lambert will be coming off shoulder surgery. Elbow injuries are easier to get back to form than shoulders and rotator cuff problems. Since it will cost $1.2 million to keep Jimmy, it would be better for the front office to allocate that money and not have to worry about whether Lambert can ever pitch effectively again.
The same goes for Foster who came back from an injury to throw 6.2 innings only to get hurt again. Plus, he is 30. While his projected $900k will not break the bank, it is better to go with a younger reliever in the pen.
Justin Anderson was good for showing up to the ballpark. He was used a lot out of the pen this year. The problem was he was not very good at maintaining the lead for the Sox. He is projected to make $1.1 million, so it's not crazy money.
Then again, the Sox have a ton of pitching depth in their farm system, and not everyone is going to make the starting rotation. It would be better to open up a spot in the pen for one of the promising arms than one who had a 1.50 WHIP.
Steven Wilson was one of the players the Sox got in the Dylan Cease deal that did not pay off. He was either ineffective or injured this season. Projected to cost $1 million might not be a bad price to see if he can bounce back.
The issue is he will be 30, and his presence on the roster blocks a promising young arm from debuting in the majors to show what he can do. It would be better to go with the cheaper and younger Jairo Iriate, another pitcher acquired in the Cease deal, to replace Wilson.