The Sox could very well get a top 6 pick next year, which would preclude them from being in the lottery for 2025, so they might as well try to compete in that pathetic division. They're returning most of the same team, so unless Yoan, Timmy, AV and Oscar Colas have magic years, they'll be selling next July, again. Or they do play up to their abilities, and they make the post-season.
I think Hahn needed a talking point to validate his position on Eloy, Cease, and Kopech. Nightengale also said there wasn't an offer on Cease that made sense to take.