"We may not be under. It's our goal to be under."

J.D. Martinez could opt out of his contract, taking a $2.5 million buyout. But that may be unlikely considering he could opt into a $23.75 million salary for 2020. If he does that, Boston likely will need to make some significant trades in order to accomplish Henry's stated goal.

However it unfolds, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said the team will remain competitive in 2020.

"Our real intention is to be competitive every year and we'll do whatever we have to do that," Werner told reporters Friday. "The solution to that isn't always having the highest payroll in baseball."

Also Friday, Henry indicated the Red Sox's search for a replacement for Dave Dombrowski won't necessarily come from within the organization, especially with such an important offseason on tap.

"It's possible, but this is a tough job," Henry told reporters. "This is a tough offseason, too. We talked about the challenges of the CBT, but this is a challenging offseason. To put one of (internal candidates) in charge, that's sort of a tough way to start your career as a general manager. We are starting the search looking outward."

Henry did not set a timetable for naming Dombrowski's replacement.