The Hot Stove heating up for the Red Sox?
Boston has work to do still this offseason and desperately need to add additional starting pitching to its rotation.
While the Red Sox have been reportedly looking to shed salary to reinvest back into the roster, that task is seemingly slowing down their pursuit to add to the major league club.
Despite that, Craig Breslow has work to do and the club is reportedly showing interest in free agent right-hander Marcus Stroman.
"The (San Francisco Giants), (Los Angeles Angels), (Baltimore Orioles), and (Boston Red Sox) have all been connected with Stroman, which makes sense given their respective rotation needs. A reunion with the Cubs also can’t be ruled out, though that seems less likely than Stroman signing with a new club,” wrote MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
The former Blue Jays, Mets and Cubs hurler is coming off a 10-9 season in the Windy City. Making 27 appearances, 25 starts, 3.95 ERA and 1.259 WHIP. He struck out 119 batters over 136 2/3 frames.
The two-time All-Star would be a nice compliment to the rotation that features Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock, Kutter Crawford and possibly Josh Winckowski. The Red Sox will still need another arm the team can place at the top of the rotation.
Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still available on the market, but according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, people around the game have told them they’re skeptical either of them ends up with the Red Sox.
Shota Imanaga has five days (Jan. 11) to make a decision where he will sign. The Japanese left-hander has a strong market that includes the Red Sox, Giants, Cubs and Angels remain interested in the free agent hurler.
Imanaga is said to be commanding around $100 million but it’s been reported that the Red Sox interest of late on the southpaw as “lurking” rather than being one of the more involved teams.
The Athletic’s Chad Jennings wrote that Imanaga has been one of the Red Sox targets from the beginning of the offseason.
“He’s been one of their targets since the start of the offseason… People with knowledge of the Red Sox’s plans have said that even after adding one starter (Lucas Giolito) and trading away another (Chris Sale), the team remains in the market for additional rotation upgrades — either via free agency or trade or both — though their preferences are unclear, and their ultimate direction might be a matter of cost and opportunity,” wrote Jennings.
There’s been a lot of talk as to what the Red Sox need to do and who they’ve expressed interest in. Breslow shocked baseball by trading Chris Sale to the Braves for Vaughn Grissom. Does Breslow have another surprise coming to strengthen his starting rotation?
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