These pitchers are reportedly on the Red Sox’s radar
8:19 PM UTC
MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest free-agent and trade rumors involving the Red Sox right here.
Jan. 28: Who are the Red Sox targeting in search for pitching help?
Although the Red Sox are continuing their search for pitching help prior to the start of Spring Training in February, a move for one of the top arms left on the free-agent market is not expected to happen.
Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (subscription required) wrote Saturday that âevery indication remains that the Sox wonât be pursuing long-term deals for [Jordan] Montgomery or [Blake] Snell,â which is not exactly surprising after Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy told reporters prior to the teamâs annual Winter Weekend event earlier this month that Bostonâs 2024 payroll would âprobablyâ be lower than it was last year.
Instead, the Red Sox are looking for lower-cost arms to fill out their depth. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Bostonâs targets include swingman Jakob Junis and reliever Ryne Stanek.
Junis posted personal bests in ERA (3.87), K/9 (10.0) and K/BB ratio (4.57) over 86 innings spanning 40 appearances (four starts) for the Giants in 2023 and owns a lifetime 4.64 ERA across 168 appearances (110 starts).
Stanek, meanwhile, has posted a 3.45 ERA and a 10.5 K/9 over 338 appearances in his seven-year career, including a 4.09 ERA for the Astros in 2023. He has made 56 starts in the big leagues, but all of them were as an opener for the Rays in 2018-19.
Per Cotillo, a Stanek deal may be unlikely unless the Red Sox trade closer Kenley Jansen, which remains a possibility.
Jan. 17: Red Sox reportedly interested in bringing back Duvall, Turner
While the Red Sox remain in conversations with players and teams who could help them upgrade their pitching staff, president of baseball operations Craig Breslow told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe earlier this week that finding a match has been “a challenge.”
Perhaps it will be a little easier for Breslow to address another team need: a power bat from the right side of the plate.
âYes, we would love to add power,” he said. “We would love to have right-handed power.”
The club could end up signing a familiar face to help in that area. Abraham reports that the team is in talks with outfielder Adam Duvall and infielder Justin Turner.
Duvall got off to a red-hot start last season with Boston before a fractured left wrist sidelined him for two months. He ended up hitting 21 home runs with an .834 OPS in 92 games. However, Duvall, who has long been a stellar outfielder, recorded minus-4 outs above average in center field last year. The Red Sox could put the 35-year-old in right field, where Wilyer Abreu appears to be their top option at the moment.
Turner, 39, registered a .276/.345/.455 slash line in his first season with the club in 2023. He compiled 23 homers and 31 doubles in 146 games. A longtime third baseman, Turner is a better fit at first base or designated hitter at this point in his career. Triston Casas appears to be Boston’s everyday first baseman, but if Turner re-signs, he could share at-bats with Masataka Yoshida and others at DH. Per Abraham, Boston plans to spread opportunities around the club rather than have one full-time DH in 2024.
Jan. 10: Where will Red Sox look for rotation help?
While the Red Sox were reportedly among the finalists in the race to sign Japanese left-hander ShĆta Imanaga ahead of the Thursday deadline on his posting period, the 30-year-old has reportedly reached a deal with the Cubs, leaving Boston back at square one.
The Red Sox, although reportedly prioritizing strengthening their rotation, have added only Lucas Giolito thus far while trading Chris Sale to the Braves in exchange for infielder Vaughn Grissom. At the time of the Giolito signing, the club had also reportedly expressed interest in Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and James Paxton.
Jan. 7: Red Sox listening on Jansen, Yoshida (report)
While the Red Sox continue to explore several options to add to their roster, they could also look to trade away multiple players to keep their payroll in check.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, Boston is telling teams that All-Star closer Kenley Jansen — owed $16 million in the final year of a two-year contract — is available. The team is also willing to listen on outfielder Masataka Yoshida, who signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the Red Sox last offseason.
Jansen is far removed from his prime, but he remains an effective closing option. The 36-year-old recorded 29 saves with a 3.63 ERA and 52 K’s over 44 2/3 innings last season.
As for Yoshida, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey (subscription required) previously reported that several teams were showing interest in the 30-year-old. Yoshida hit .289 with 15 homers and a .783 OPS over 140 games in his first season with the Red Sox, though he produced just 1.4 WAR (per Baseball-Reference) thanks in part to his poor defense in left field.
Cot’s Baseball Contracts puts Boston’s current Competitive Balance Tax number at roughly $192 million for 2024 (including projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players), around $45 million shy of the first tax threshold of $237 million.
It’s questionable whether the Red Sox can sign multiple high-priced free agents and remain under the threshold without shedding salary in a trade.
