The Red Sox are looking to improve their rotation this winter but it remains to be seen how exactly that will play out. They have previously been connected to top free agents such as Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell, as well as trade candidate Garrett Crochet.
This week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Sox actually want to of those top free agents. Sean McAdam of MassLive reports that the Sox are continuing to keep tabs on the pitching market while engaging with Juan Soto. They did have some interest in lefty Yusei Kikuchi, though it’s unclear how strong that interest was and he now has an agreement with the Angels. As for Crochet, McAdam reports that the Sox have pulled off the gas a bit there, with some unknown club getting “very aggressive” recently.
Very early in the offseason, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said the club would be looking to the “raise the ceiling” in the rotation and these pursuits all align with that goal. Burnes, Fried and Snell all have long track records of major league success, with Burnes having a Cy Young award and Snell having two of them. Fried doesn’t have the hardware but does have a 3.07 earned run average in just under 900 career innings. Crochet only just transitioned to the rotation in 2024 but did so with aplomb, posting a 3.58 ERA, 35.1% strikeout rate, 5.5% walk rate and 45.1% ground ball rate in 146 innings.
Any one of those pitchers would be a nice upgrade for Boston or any other club, though that will also make them very popular. In addition to the Sox, those pitchers have been connected to clubs like the Blue Jays, Orioles, Yankees, Dodgers and Padres. There are plenty of other clubs that also make sense, even if they haven’t been explicitly tied to those pitchers in rumors.
For the Sox to come away with two of those pitchers would make for quite an aggressive offseason, but that’s exactly what the club has been signaling. Both Breslow and CEO Sam Kennedy have made comments suggesting the club is planning to act boldly this winter, with Kennedy recently saying that paying the competitive balance tax is on the table. Many fans of the club will bring up last year’s “full throttle” comments from chairman Tom Werner and how those didn’t precede much action last winter, but the club is being more specific this year. Kennedy has repeatedly said the goal is to field a club capable of winning 90 to 95 games and taking the division.
Spending money on free agents is one way they could go about accomplishing that. RosterResource projects the 2025 club for a payroll of $138MM, well below their $184MM spending from 2024, which was itself a drop from what they spent in the previous decade. RR pegs the club’s CBT number at $171MM, which is $70MM below the lowest threshold.
There’s plenty of room in there for two notable contracts, though successfully signing Soto would obviously completely change the calculus, given the expectation that he’ll sign a record-setting contract. Leaving that aside for now, big contracts for two of the big free agent starters is a feasible outcome. As part of MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents post, each of Burnes, Fried and Snell were projected for contracts with average annual values between $26MM and $32MM. Putting two of those onto Boston’s payroll still wouldn’t even get them to the CBT line. They will presumably also make additions to the bullpen and maybe the position player group as well, but with a willingness to cross the line, all sorts of possibilities could be on the table for them.
Crochet would be far cheaper from a financial perspective, with the biggest cost coming in the form of prospect capital. Since he has spent so much of his career either working in relief or injured, he is down to two years of club control but hasn’t been able to raise his salary very high through the arbitration process. He made just $800K in 2024 and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a raise to just $2.9MM in 2025. He would be due another raise in 2026 before he’s slated to become a free agent.
Two years of an ace-caliber pitcher for that kind of money is tremendous value, which is why Crochet figures to be very popular in trade talks. The Red Sox have a strong farm system and could certainly get a deal done if they wanted to, though it seems some mystery club has pulled ahead of them, per McAdam’s reporting.
For now, the Boston rotation projects to be fronted by Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford. Houck had a breakout season in 2024 but may have run out of gas, as he had a 2.54 ERA in the first half and a 4.23 mark in the second. Bello and Crawford are each coming off decent but not outstanding seasons, each finishing with an ERA in the 4.35-4.50 range. Lucas Giolito and Garrett Whitlock could be in the mix in 2025 but they are fairly unknown quantities right now as each underwent internal brace surgery in 2024.
Adding to that group would improve Boston’s chances in 2025 while bumping guys like Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester to depth roles, either in the minors or in the big league bullpen.
The interest in Kikuchi suggests that the Sox are also open to some of mid-market options. With Kikuchi now gone, some of the other names that could be in line for somewhat similar deals include Jack Flaherty, Sean Manaea, Nathan Eovaldi, Luis Severino and old friend Nick Pivetta.
The qualifying offer will likely be a factor, depending on who the Sox ultimately sign. Snell, Eovaldi and Flaherty were ineligible to receive a QO, Snell and Eovaldi because they had already received one and Flaherty because he was traded midseason. Burnes, Fried, Manaea and Severino rejected QOs, meaning the Sox would have to forfeit their second-best pick in next year’s draft and $500K of international bonus pool space to sign them. Pivetta rejected a QO from the Red Sox, meaning they stand to receive a compensation pick just ahead of the third round if he signs elsewhere, though they would not receive that pick if they ultimately re-sign him.
Bob Sacamano 310
“Some unknown club.” Move over Mystery Team!
kellin
As long as its not the Angels, I really could care less who the mystery team is..
Moneyballer
It was the phillies – offering Alec Bohm which the chi sox should be very interested in.
Bob Sacamano 310
The Sox should have zero interest in a guy with 2 years of control.
Tigers3232
Yeah I don’t see the Sox having any interest in a return centered around Bohm. Players with 2 yrs of team control don’t fit at all for a team pretty much at bottom of a rebuild.
Sad.Sox 3
Why not? Suppose he is amazing for two years?
The problem with too much analytics is; it prevents team building. Constantly looking for the diamond in the rough unicorn that plays four positions, makes league minimum, and is under control for 8 yrs somehow.
I don’t even want Crochet, but the idea that you would only have him for two years shouldn’t disqualify him is nuts.
Tigers3232
It has nothing to do with analytics. The Sox are horrible. They ve parted with Cease and Jimenez. They have holes all over roster. You don’t add a guy with 2 years of team control to a roster otherwise nearly devoid of talent. It is not a path to a brighter future.
Acquiring prospects is not about just texting to find a diamond in the rough. Teams try and load up farm system and create a foundation to add around.
Look at HOU, ATL, CLE, amd BAL. All teams that acquired and developed talent. ATL and HOU then got to the point they ve added talent around them and both won World Series. BAL looks as they ll be adding talent to some degree to complement young core. Who knows with CLE.
That same method also was used by KC and CHC who both won a World Series. As for Sox, trading for Bohm does not in any way push a historically bad team near contending. Nor does it help amass young talent for the future. It just simply makes no sense for them to do.
Sad.Sox 3
Great rant! But I was talking from the prospective of the Red Sox acquiring Crochet with the current two yra of control. Sorry….
IMO, the White Sox are pricing themselves out of a trade in the hopes of possibly extending Crochet themselves
Tigers3232
You are replying to comments that are a discussion centered around someone’s idea to trade Bohm for Crochet.
So what the hxll does “Why not?” Mean if it’s not in regards to Bohm? Nobody has even mentioned the Red Sox under the original comment….
Sad.Sox 3
OK, geez, I read the wrong Sox into a comment about “Sox”.
Funny why I would think that, in a story entitled “Latest on Red Sox Rotation Plans”
Relax
Tigers3232
You are the one who pivoted to reign a condescending prxck not me. You dictated the direction regarding the tone there.
Sad.Sox 3
I apologized two posts ago…….guess you glossed over the “sorry”. No need to resort to name calling.
But, if you want to read a condescending reply, here goes:
Both your baseball points, and your use of the English language are terrible.
Happy Thanksgiving
Tigers3232
I’m not getting paid or graded on my comments. So I don’t proofread.
Happy Thanksgiving
hyraxwithaflamethrower
Agreed. It only makes sense if a third team is brought in that wants Bohm.
all in the suit that you wear
Hmm. Trade Bohm and sign Bregman maybe.
braves25
And the White Sox hung up because the Phillies wouldn’t include Painter
Sad.Sox 3
It seems like the White Sox are deliberately asking for too much. Whether it’s because they lost the Dylan Cease trade so badly, or they want another year to try to extend Crochet themselves, but, it’s become clear the price for the Sox is too steep
cwsOverhaul
@Sad: Drew Thorpe was good for a lot of his starts and he went on the shelf with injury that may have partly explained his getting rocked last couple outings. He’s a rotation piece. They knew Cease was solid (not great) and how do you write off other prospects in minors they acquired? It is not instant gratification.
Crochet: Observe how much it costs for SP’s. Even mediocre FAs get 15-20mil AAV for multiple years. If that is unappealing, the trade route isn’t a loophole flea market to offer only what’s convenient for the buyer. They want a high end position player prospect and a decent second one. Boston need not worry. They have deep pockets to outbid others for Burnes (or Fried/Flaherty) that the Mets decide not to go crazy on.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Yeah the book is still open on the Cease trade. Dylan showed once again in the playoffs that he’s not a reliable option, not making it out of the 2nd inning. His upside is the occasional lights out nono but he’s not an ace- really a #3 or 4 on a contender. Thorpe showed outstanding stuff and command with a unique profile with his unhittable change that one could see at the top of the rotation. If Iriarte delivers on his promise the Sox have done well: a win win for both clubs.
seamaholic 2
Bohm has two years of control. White Sox have zero interest unless he’s a third piece or something.
Rsox
Crochet only has two years of control and at this point Bohm might be the more polished player
KingKen
Why would the White Sox be interested in Bohm? He only has 2 more years of control and there’s no way Chicago is crazy enough to think they’re going to be a contending team in the next 2 years. If they did they wouldn’t be getting rid of Crochet in the first place.
The biggest tr0ll
Alec Bohm is everything above average but nothing to be excited about. Reminds me of Grissom. Gets hits but not so many are crucial. Has a lot of slumps. Doesn’t end up being an impact player too much. No thank you
lemonlyman
The guy’s hit a hundred rbi in each of the last two years off of 155 hits each. Driving in runs with 63% of your hits aren’t crucial hits?
avenger65
tr0ll: Sounds too good for the White Sox. However, if the Phillies have a couple of minor league players they’d like to dfa, Getz will take them in a heartbeat.
The biggest tr0ll
I had him in fantasy baseball. It was all early season. Bohm was droppable by July. He slumped so badly the second half. He was solid all year overall but not great down the playoff stretch.
The biggest tr0ll
I was talking about the Red Sox, but okay.
Dumpster Divin Theo
RBI, how quaint. What’s his batting average?
Dumpster Divin Theo
Needs to be at least 25. Bummer fetched 5 and Garrett is 5x a Bummer
cwsOverhaul
Dodgers would mess with Getz’s head longer for it to be them being aggressive. Doubt Balt either.
Dorothy_Mantooth
The Red Sox should be able to get Crochet for a package of Tristian Casas, Wilyer Abreu and another non- Top 5 prospect. Then they can sign Pete Alonso to play 1B and still have money to sign another pitcher and bullpen help.
MLB-1971
Casas and Abreu alone would be a huge overpay for two years of Crochet. No thank you.
The biggest tr0ll
Why would you want Crochet? He could barely get through last season without limiting innings and his true colors showed second half. I don’t think he’s the answer. He’s inexperienced and is not a pitcher with longevity, which the Red Sox need
baseballguru
Your comment abilities should be revoked by Redaox Nation. Thank God you’ve not the GM lol WHAT¿?
The biggest tr0ll
But you still don’t defend Crochet, do you?
JoeBrady
He could barely get through last season without limiting innings and his true colors showed second half.
==========================
1-The assumption is that the innings limitation will be lifted in his second season back from injury.
2-His true colors in the second half were exceptional. He was put on the limit to start July, and had a 68/13 K/W in 44.2 IPs. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The biggest tr0ll
Except it was a small sample size. Incoming sophomore slump. I just don’t trust Crochet as an ace until I see more. I saw some teams crush him, as good as he was in small sample sizes, the Sox being one of them
Dumpster Divin Theo
I think Getz was doing okay during the trade deadline up to the end all secretive and analytical and stuff. And then when the Dodgers, the pretty popular girl spoke to him he lost his cool and gave away the farm. Like Anthony Michael Hall when Molly Ringwald looks his way
Blackpink in the area
I think there is a w missing in the first sentence of paragraph 2.
The Red Sox are lucky that Pivetta declined their offer. They seem to have a desire to spend and also they have players to trade. Could be an exciting offseason for them.
Yankee Clipper
“Sox actually want to of those top free agents.”
Is this supposed to read, “two of those top…”, or is there words missing after “want to…”?
all in the suit that you wear
They supposedly want to sign two of Burnes, Fried and Snell.
Yankee Clipper
Wow, that’s interesting. I could definitely see them doing this though.
Niekro floater
That’s just Bosox propaganda for their fans. In on everybody. Bet they are lil gun shy signing Ps to long term big deals after Giolito n his injury.
ChiSox_Fan
Two of the three listed FA’s
avenger65
The Red Sox are my second favorite team I would love to see Crochet traded there. It would nice to see Crochet, Gio and Hendriks on the same team again.
dirtyjog
Yep, if the stars align you could catch them all on the same rehab assignment in Portland/Pawtucket
Claydagoat
oh, how droll.
SteveC
dirtyjog: Portland/Worcester now
Dumpster Divin Theo
Is Worcester Wooster or Worchester?
DBH1969
Say “what” outloud withhout the t and then add ‘stir’
all in the suit that you wear
Wooster
Dave 45
It’s Worcester. South west of Boston, probably 45 min. Used to be in Pawtucket, RI – about an hour south of Boston. Saw many, many games there.
acell10
worcester is west not Southwest of boston
JerseyShoreScore
TWO not TO
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
There’s a bunch of free agent pitchers available.
“This week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Sox actually want TO…, of those top free agents.”
Yes we know they WANT TO, and they’ll select from those top free agents.
Question is, will they?
Moneyballer
The aggressive team was the Phillies. Chicago should not play this hold out game, if they get an overwhelming offer, don’t mess around, take it! Learn from the failures of teams before you. Bohm would be a huge return for Crochet.
DroppedThirdStrike
Bohm would be a nice starting point.
BronxBombers23
Why should the White Sox be interested in Bohm? He’s only under team control for 2 more years. They won’t be able to compete in those years.
braves25
Why should they be interested? Crochet is better and cheaper than Bohm. Maybe if Bohm was the 3rd piece they are getting back.
Tigers3232
Bohm would be a huge mistake for Sox. It does nothing for a rebuild, just wastes 2 yrs of MLB talent on a roster devoid of talent as they try and bolster farm system.
Bob Sacamano 310
If he was the third piece after two top prospects, sure. Then try to flip him or wait until mid-season.
Tigers3232
I don’t see Phillies trading 2 prospects they value more than him while also trading him.
Maybe they re willing to trade prospects for him, but they’d likely be trading Bohm elsewhere.
cwsOverhaul
Crawford and Caba would be intriguing for WSox. Phillies can trade Bohm to a more competitive team.
seamaholic 2
Bohm would be a throw in. White Sox are uninterested in a player who won’t be there when they’re good again.
Tigers3232
To the Sox he’d be a throw in. For the Phillies they obviously view his value as much more then that. That’s why any trade between the 2 seems a near uncertainty involving Bohm and Crochet.
avenger65
seamholic: If they’re waiting until they’re a contender I hope Bohm has a son with minimal ability. Daddy will be using a walker by the time sonny boy suits up to play 3B for the Sox.
Samuel
Ahhhh, just like old times……
LOL
The Red Sox are “interested” in every big name FA in this offseason.
Now all we need are articles saying the Yankees are going to sign at least one of the top starting pitchers along with Pete Alonso as soon as they re-sign Soto.
Claydagoat
You might want to take a break from the Internet for a day or two,
pohle
this honestly is super tame for our boy samuel, i wouldnt be surprised if this was his first time checking in in a while, and i hope you dont feel bad samuel when you do happen to see clays comment.
Anthony maresca
I promise you if Yankees win the Soto bidding there wont be any money for Alonso or a top starter. Regardless Im 99.9% confident Soto going to Mets and then Yankees can consider adding 4-5 quality pieces to build their team.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Yes Anthony and I’m hoping the same for the Red Sox. There’s no way this guy’s worth 70 million a year that he’s asking. The Mets will give him 60 and both our teams will load up on standard free agent guys.
letitbelowenstein
I have an iffy feeling about Burnes. He didn’t seem to have quite the effectiveness the second half of ’24. I hope that isn’t an early sign of TJS for ’25 or ’26.
JoeBrady
Too risky for this RS fan.
casualfan
Only if the Red Sox sign him. If he signs with any other club he’ll be fine. If he ends up on Boston, he’ll definitely need the surgery and will contract Ebola at some stage also. This is how the Red Sox roll these days.
Greentreant
Typo Mistake
“This week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Sox actually want to of those top free agents.”
Incorrect to, should be two.
Have a great day!
Ol Scotty boy
Relax boys & girls. Theo is in the house. Don’t forget amigos! This is exactly why he was hired. Stop w/ all the negativity. 2025 is going to be awesome! 🙂
Big whiffa
O agree but you are ying yang. Haters gonna hate. And Red Sox fans gonna hate on their team most of all
Claydagoat
Even the writers of these articles keep saying :”full throttle”
It was a throwaway comment during a press conference. The actions mattered those two stupid words didn’t.
For the love of God, please stop.
Kk 4
Why are half the comments here calling out the same insignificant typo… MLBTR posts often have typos, who cares
Big whiffa
It shows how egotistical and self centered everyone is ! They are so obsessed with posting their comment they can’t even read the existing comments first. All bc they were triggered by a spelling error. smh
dirtyjog
They’re probably not mentioned ever because they’re highly likely to return to their clubs, but hope the Sox are in on guys like John Means, Shane Bieber. Short-term, high-upside contracts. That would count as “raising the ceiling” to me – a Tier-1 plus one of those guys would be great.
Sad.Sox 3
I can’t go through another “ace” coming to the Sox to rehab. The thought is repugnent. That’s how you end up with Bullpen Game after Bullpen Game when you’re 4.5 games out of the playoffs.
Sign or trade for a durable SP who can throw into and past the sixth inning.
Joemo
As a big Red Sox fan, I want nothing to do with Crochet. He might be a long term ace, but there’s nothing to suggest that he can stay healthy and perform, and he’s going to be expensive.
Here’s an ideal offseason for the Sox:
1. Sign Soto.
2. Sign Fried / Snell / Some Top Tier FA
3. Use those two signings, convince Sasaki that Boston is going to the best fit for him.
Signing Soto adds another great bat and will help take pressure off of Devers – Soto seems to want to be in the spotlight while Devers doesn’t. That’s perfectly fine.
They will need another big signing to show Sasaki they’re committed to winning. In comes one of the top tier SP. Having that top tier SP will help not only Sasaki, but the existing Sox rotation as it’s pretty young.
While I think all of this is possible, I find it highly unlikely. It all will start with Soto, as he’s likely the first domino to fall. If the Sox miss out on him, they could still have a good offseason by spending on two SP and a RHB.
I am a big critic of FSG in recent years, but they can quickly turn around the narrative by signing Soto or a top tier SP.
Rsox
Seems dwindling attendance and falling tv ratings are motivating Henry to at least consider opening his wallet this winter
Sagacity
Rsox – Did you witness his wallet coming out or did someone tell you he’s pulling it out? This is an old story that seems to repeat itself each year and never comes true. I don’t see a break in the pattern. The status quo makes them a ton of money and they simply don’t hear the noise of the fans while counting their money.
Sad.Sox 3
Well, good news is Liverpool is in first place. Perhaps now FSG will take some English Pounds and put them into the Sox payroll instead of the other way around.
And, screw the Penquins lol
cooperhill
“To of?” How about “Two” of! LMAO!
Baseballisthebest
Why is it that as soon as I see the name Bob Nightengale I immediately know that whatever is attributed to him is total garbage and will never happen?
tuck 2
Great reporting. A team with terrible starting pitching is interested in every good pitcher. Shocking
Indianfan
Hey, just what we’ve been waiting for, today’s major Red Sox story which says absolutely nothing. I will now be able to sleep tonight.
baseballguru
Snell is gone to the Dodgers 5yrs 182mill 36.4aav for ages 32-36 seasons their rotation is now Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasgow, Snell, Gosselin and May. Boston will sign Freid and one of Burnes, Manea, Eavoldi or trade for Crochet. Possibly a closer in Williams or Miller types. And Soto wants to come to “The House That Dominicans Built” Fenway Park!
baseballguru
100% No
Dumpster Divin Theo
Nah Red Sox only want to overpay for hurt pitchers they don’t get to see pitch.
DBH1969
Snell in agreement with the Dodgers. Sox front office will likely go into panic mode now…only two of the three left.
Now they have to sigh both or face another ‘full throttle’ tag.
Ya just can’t make this up, folks!
No doubt the FO expected all 3 to be available until at least Jan when they could say “we tried, but…”
Now they are caught in their own PR spin trap lol!
Dumpster Divin Theo
Lighten up Francis it’s not even Thanksgiving
Sagacity
DBH1969 – You can’t go into a panic mode if you have no pulse.
Ownership isn’t going to add an all-star. There is no reason to when you make as much as they have since they dumped Mookie and Price.
2025 comes down to whether a bunch of mediocre players can play over their head long enough to exceed 81 wins. Sad but true.
The two signs of the apocalypse are Devers moving to DH and Cora being fired. Until then, just a lot of fans with their glasses half full believing someone is going to help fill them even further with ghost transaction bringing talent to the team while the realists just shake their heads in disbelief at the gullibility of a nation of fans.
Sad.Sox 3
Amen. With every passing day that becomes clearer.
DBH1969
Agreed, Sagacity. While I don’t think they will dumpster dive this year, but they will pick from the middle of the heap for mid-tier pitchers. Eovaldi or Flatery is as far as they will reach upward.
If they sign Soto, then we will know ownership has gone full tilt panic mode to avoid the PR hit like they did with our fat GG 3rd baseman
Sad.Sox 3
Hi DBH, et al – not sure I understand all the Devers detractors on MLBTR. Its not his fault that ownership panicked after allowing Mookie to go and he got overpaid.
All the guy has done is rake. For most of last year his protection in the lineup was Conner Wong and hitting in front of him a revolving cast of Refsynder, Valdez, Abreu……not exactly murderers row. Moreover, he had two injured shoulders for second half. Still, his numbers were comparable to Machado and Bregman, and maybe 3rd/4th best in a very shallow league wide position.
DBH1969
Honestly, Sad, some of the comments are unfair. But the truth is that it’s a bloated contract for the worst third baseman in the majors. He should have moved to DH 3 years ago but once again PR over reality for this FO.
Yes, the dude can rake. It would just be best for himself and the team if they finally move him to DH. If they do, most for the Devers flaming will disappear.
Oh, and he is getting fat. Maybe more rice cakes and less ho-hos
Sad.Sox 3
Lets not get crazy, hahaha, he’s not Daniel Vogelbach.
If Story is back at SS it cuts down his need to go left, and if Casas is at 1B all year he’ll dig out few as well.
Is he ever going to be Mike Lowell or Adrian Beltre, no. Can he be Wade Boggs, probably with a little help from his friends
DBH1969
I think 57 years is long enough to ‘learn’ to play 3rd lol
Dumpster Divin Theo
Dumpster dive, you don’t say, anyone miss me?
Dumpster Divin Theo
Raffie Devees? That’s like me on a crisp fall day in New Hampshire, all I do is rake.
kingbum
I wouldn’t mind Boston getting in on Bohm. If the intent is to sign Burnes and Freid, they should trade Abreu and Yoshida for Bohm. Get Bohm for third move Devers to DH. Works for me…I don’t know how Philly would value that.
Sad.Sox 3
Too high a price for Sox to pay for Bohm.
Lets get it straight guys, Red Sox have many more glaring holes than Devers defense.
We really haven’t had a second baseman since Pedroia. They played 11 guys there last year, including Conner Wong, and not any one of them has adequate defensively. Moving Devers isnt the final piece on a championship team. Stop trying to solve a problem that’s fifth or sixth in the triage order!
JoeBrady
A lot of fans do this, and the media does as well. Divvy up all your problems into necessary and luxury and the strategy becomes more straightforward.
kingbum
Never said that would fix all the problems….I’d move Story to 2nd to protect his arm some since he had surgery and really still rehabbing it. Cedanne for better or worse is my shortstop until Mayer is ready. That’s why getting a 3rd baseman is very key for this roster. They have the other infield pieces. Story has always had a good glove and for better or worse we are stuck with his contract so why not 2nd base?
The biggest tr0ll
I don’t trust Garrett Crochet. One season under his belt, not even a full one where he was mostly shut down near the end. He seems inexperienced to me if he’s our pitcher of the future. I just see him more as a risk than a proven entity. I’m sure he will be fine, but I’d rather go with a proven has been than a guy who has yet to prove stability.
Sad.Sox 3
There’s more than one way to look at this. Maybe he isn’t a front end starter, maybe he’s Randy Johnson. Nobody knows.
I can say one thing with some confidence, if he can’t start, you may be trading for the second best closer ever
JoeBrady
The way I look at this is that it’s like you are buying a good stock, but with short-term cash flow problems.
A healthy Crochet would cost about the same as Skubal, and Skubal is too good to even think of an even trade.
Or, if he was fully healthy and a FA, at age 25, you might be looking at $200M. The fact that he has an injury history just means you are buying him at a huge discount.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Crochet is higher risk but high reward. You seem to be targeting your back end meh rotation guy proven entity but meh.
Sad.Sox 3
Craig Breslow, I know you read these Boards. Please go trade for Luis Castillo, trade cost will be less than any of the younger M’s pitchers, his $24mm x3 yrs is less tha you’d pay for a FA, and with the added benefit of losing a lower tier prospect and perhaps even throwing in Yoshida.
Please and thank you
dajuba
Nothing has changed in Boston except for the name on the door of the President of Baseball Operations. They will not sign any of the top free agents. No Snell or Burnes or Fried or Soto. Just the usual “spin” for the media and the masses. Maybe they sign a leftover after the market is picked clean and then more “spin” from the front office on how they tried….sickening to be a Red Sox fan with the current mindset ownership has installed.
Sad.Sox 3
Perfectly said!!! Fortune favors the Bold. If you’re in the market, than go out and get your players.
What I see from the Sox is a lack of vision, as well as, the unwillingness to spend.
Dumpster Divin Theo
Fortune favors Matt Damon and crypto.
Youkilyptus
Disappointed to see Snell come off the board; he was my top choice from the top tier. One option down…
Sad.Sox 3
Snell is a west coast character, glad he stayed out there.
Dave 45
Let’s see how far they “Raise the Ceiling” this winter. My guess is that the Sox will sign a few has-beens, maybe a single loaded blockbuster deal but they’ll have to trade away some key players to make that happen (Duran, Casas?).
But, after last year’s “Full Throttle” I’m not holding my breath and only expecting the ceiling to be raised as high as necessary for a doll house.
I’d say to move Devers to 1B and sign Bregman to 3B. Or even Bohm. That’ll free up Casas to be a trade chip for a potential starter (Pirates?).
Sad.Sox 3
I know its unpopular, and I mean this only for a TRUE top tier Starter, but i’d rather trade Duran than Casas,
More than happy If we dont lose either, but then, I want Fried, and I want Raffaele playing Second Base for 140 games.
MLB-1971
Sad – Duran vs Casas in a trade…1) it depends on the return. 2) Duran is older and speed does not tend to age as well as power, IMO. 3) It also depends on health, and Duran has been healthier and played a greater percentage of games over the couple of years (Duran 100% of games he was not suspended in 2024, lol).
DBH1969
@ Sad. Sox delinately need to clear space in the outfield. Duran is older and his value is peak right now. I agree with trading him.
As for Raf, he is an elite center fielder and good SS. He is only passable at 2nd. Trade Duran and move Story to 2nd, who is awesome there.
I dont understand the desire by some to trade Casas. The dude has generational power. He just needs to stay healthy.
Sad.Sox 3
DBH- couldn’t agree more, should Duran go Raffaele is in CF.
Casas has been labeled as “can’t miss” since he was 14. There isn’t anything in his approach so far to make me think otherwise. Great command of the strike zone, big time power, should reduce K’s with experience.
Dumpster Divin Theo
No me. I agree more. Agree agree agree. More more more.