Could Red Sox land this free-agent starter?
December 26th, 2023
MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest free-agent and trade rumors involving the Red Sox right here.
Dec. 26: Giolito, Red Sox ‘remain engaged’ in negotiations (report)
Red Sox starters pitched the fourth-fewest innings in MLB in 2023, and their 4.68 ERA ranked 22nd in the Majors. Boston was considered a finalist for Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who reportedly agreed to a 12-year deal with the Dodgers.
Given their serious need for starting pitching, the Red Sox are one of many clubs who “remain engaged” with free-agent right-hander Lucas Giolito, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reported Tuesday. The 29-year-old pitched 184 1/3 innings in 2023 (Brayan Bello led the Red Sox at 157) and posted a 4.88 ERA.
Giolito’s season took a significant turn for the worse after he was dealt from the White Sox to the Angels at the Trade Deadline. He posted a 6.89 ERA in six starts with the Angels, was claimed by the Guardians off waivers on Aug. 31 and put up a 7.04 ERA in six starts with Cleveland. Still, there’s no denying Giolito’s upside: From 2019 to 2021, he posted a 3.47 ERA, finishing sixth, seventh and 11th in American League Cy Young Award voting, respectively.
Cotillo also reported that the Red Sox have been in “constant communication” with veteran left-hander James Paxton, terming a potential reunion “in play but not a certainty.”
Dec. 26: Will Red Sox add to their outfield in free agency?
The Red Sox outfield will certainly look different in 2024. Tyler OâNeill (acquired from the Cardinals) is expected to replace Alex Verdugo (traded to the Yankees) in left field, but Boston still needs to replace free agent Adam Duvall.
Slugging outfielder Teoscar HernĂĄndez could be an option for the Red Sox. On Friday, Ken Rosenthal wrote in The Athletic (subscription required) that Boston was showing interest in the 31-year-old, who hit .258 with 26 home runs for the Mariners in 2023. HernĂĄndez owns a career .486 slugging percentage and has totaled 147 home runs since the start of the 2018 season.
Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (subscription required) reported that the Red Sox had not made an offer to HernĂĄndez as of Saturday night, but they were discussing potential contract parameters. Boston will likely face competition for HernĂĄndez: The Dodgers and Angels are among the teams that have been connected to the free-agent outfielder.
Dec. 23: Red Sox ‘showing strong interest’ in re-signing Paxton (report)
The Red Sox are in need of starting pitching, and according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford, Boston is “showing strong interest” in bringing back Paxton.
Paxton posted a 4.50 ERA over 19 starts for the Red Sox in an injury-limited 2023 campaign. Injuries have been an issue for the 35-year-old, particularly in recent years — he signed with the Red Sox before the 2022 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent the prior April while with the Mariners.
But Paxton missed the entire ’22 campaign before making his Boston debut last May. Hamstring and knee injuries hampered him, and after a strong start to his season, he struggled to a 6.98 ERA over his final nine starts.
With a group of young starters behind veteran lefty Chris Sale, who has dealt with a lengthy list of injuries of his own during his time with the Red Sox, starting depth seems to rightfully be a major priority for Boston. The Red Sox have been linked to pitchers at the top of the free-agent market, losing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto but still in play for reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and others.
Bringing Paxton back would certainly not be enough to bolster the rotation, particularly with his injury history. But if he can stay healthy and recapture what he had early last season (2.73 ERA through his first 10 starts), he could be an important contributor.
Dec. 21: Which pitchers are in Red Sox’s sights with Yamamoto off the board?
The Red Sox were one of seven known teams in the bidding for the best starting pitcher on the market, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He would have been a perfect fit for a club that sported a rotation ERA in the bottom third of MLB in each of the past two seasons. However, the Red Sox will have to look elsewhere to augment their starting staff after the Japanese right-hander agreed to terms with the Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million contract, per source.
Although Red Sox fans may be disappointed at the moment, the good news is there are still plenty of good pitchers for the club to consider. That includes two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and 2023 World Series champion Jordan Montgomery. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported recently that the team has “shown varying degrees of interest” in Snell and Montgomery. Speier also mentioned on MLB Network that the Red Sox have “considerable interest” in 30-year-old Japanese left-hander ShĆta Imanaga, who doesn’t have Yamamoto’s upside but is seen as a solid mid-rotation arm.
Boston has also explored the trade market for pitching, though it is “seen as being far more interested in acquiring a pitcher with multiple years of control than one who is a year from free agency,” according to Speier.
While that may take a pitcher such as the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes off of their radar, the Red Sox are interested in White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease, who has two years of club control remaining. They have also talked to the Mariners about Logan Gilbert and George Kirby but were “rebuffed,” per Speier. Those young right-handers aren’t slated to hit free agency until 2028 and ’29, respectively.
Among position players, the Red Sox have held conversations with Justin Turner about a return to Fenway Park, per The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham. They have also had interest in Whit Merrifield, according to The Athletic’s Chad Jennings and Jen McCaffrey (subscription required). Getting Merrifield, 34, would address the Red Sox’s need for better defense at second base, a position where their minus-13 outs above average was the second-worst in MLB in 2023.
Nov. 27: Why Montgomery could be an ideal fit with the Red Sox
Earlier this month, MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi reported that Boston officials spoke with Jordan Montgomeryâs agent Scott Boras at the General Manager Meetings. Could Boston have a geographical advantage for signing him?
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam, Montgomery is “spending the winter in Boston and calling the city his offseason home”. While Montgomery’s wife begins her dermatology residency in the greater Boston area, Montgomery has been working out and throwing at Boston College, according to MassLive’s sources.
Cotillo and McAdam make it clear that Montgomery’s relocation to Boston this winter isn’t directly related to his free agent process, but it is notable considering the two sides have already been in contact. Montgomery, who is expected to clear the $100 million mark after a strong season for the World Series-champion Rangers, is an ideal fit for a Red Sox rotation that finished with the ninth-worst ERA (4.68) in ’23.
Ok