Red Sox have ‘had talks’ with agents of all top free agent starters (report)
The Red Sox have yet to make a move in free agency to address their need for starting pitching. It appears the club has been doing their due diligence on the remaining impact starters on the market.
According to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, the Red Sox have spoken to the agents of each of the top free agent hurlers in this winter’s class.
“A team source indicated that at this point the Red Sox have had talks with agents of all of the top free-agent starters and know what their markets look like,” McCaffrey wrote.
This report comes on the heels of MassLive’s Sean McAdam who wrote that Boston has expressed interest in making trades to improve their pitching needs versus the free agent market.
“One reason for that, according to an industry source familiar with the team’s thinking, is that the Red Sox have expressed an interest in first trying to address their pitching needs via the trade route before pivoting later to the free agent market,” wrote McAdam.
A handful of pitchers have already signed, Aaron Nola returned to the Phillies, the Cardinals signed Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson drastically improving their rotation and Kenta Maeda is heading to Detroit.
The Red Sox are linked to Japanese free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The top free agent pitcher on the market is not expected to pick a team until after the Winter Meetings that take place in Nashville.
Yamamoto is going to take Zoom meetings next week which will be followed by in-person meetings in the United States.
Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery also sit atop of the market, with others like Lucas Giolito, Michael Wacha, Eduardo Rodriguez, Marcus Stroman, Jack Flaherty and Seth Lugo are still available but will have a competitive market.
Montgomery is now living in the Boston and working out at Boston College because his wife is a dermatology resident in the Boston-area. The team has already met with his agent Scott Boras at the GM Meetings. MLB Trade Rumors has the southpaw signing a deal with a team this winter at six years, $150 million.
New front office leader Craig Breslow has said from day one on the job the club is in the market for at least two starter this winter. Andrew Bailey will be charged with leading a new rotation as pitching coach, one that relies on throwing strikes.
“Strikes are everything,” Breslow said at his introductory Zoom presser. “Stuff in the zone plays. Limiting walks, being aggressive and ahead in counts. Obviously there’s been a big change in stuff and swing-and-miss and velo and all that.”
There’s plenty of options available on the market and the Red Sox have the money to spend. The other issue is the Boston isn’t the only team with pitching needs this offseason.
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