FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Athletic’s Jim Bowden reported sources close to Craig Kimbrel think he could sit out the entire season if he doesn’t receive a fair value contract offer.

Bowden’s report was quickly refuted by Ken Rosenthal, who also writes for The Athletic. Rosenthal quoted Kimbrel’s agent, David Meter, who called the report “utterly false."

Kimbrel’s free agent market seems stagnant at this point. But it doesn’t make sense for him to sit out the season. Why lose a year and then try again next offseason when the market could be just as slow? The overall free agent market has been stagnant the past two offseasons.

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said Feb. 18 the possibility of Boston re-signing Kimbrel is “extremely unlikely." But the Sox better hope he signs a contract with some team instead of sitting out the 2019 season.

Kimbrel declined a $17.9 million qualifying offer from the Red Sox. The Red Sox, therefore, will receive a compensation draft pick if he signs with another team — but only if he signs by the 2019 June Draft.

Kendrys Morales was tied to a qualifying offer during the 2013-14 offseason. He didn’t sign with the Twins until after the 2014 June Draft. So his previous team, the Mariners, didn’t receive draft-pick compensation.

As stated in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a player must sign "a Major League contract with another Major League Club that is confirmed by the Players Association and the LRD on or before the day prior to the next succeeding Major League Rule 4 Draft.”

The Red Sox would love the additional draft pick as they try to rebuild their farm system. But their compensation pick wouldn’t be until after the final selection of the fourth round.

Why not until after the fourth round? The Red Sox exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax threshold in 2018. They paid the highest tax penalty because their payroll exceeded the third CBT threshold of $237 million. The third threshold has increased to $246 million for the 2019 season.

Per the CBA, “a Former Club that was a CBT Payor in the Contract Year that encompasses the most recently completed championship season (regardless of the Former Club’s status under the Revenue Sharing Plan) shall receive a Special Draft Choice immediately following the last selection in the fourth round of the next Rule 4 Draft.”