MLB rumors: Red Sox shift attention to 2-time All-Star after losing Blake Snell sweepstakes
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The Boston Red Sox’s desire to spend big in their bid to return to legitimate World Series contention has been no secret; in fact, they have been among the league’s most active Juan Soto suitors, and that signing is going to cost a hefty sum that could approach the levels of Shohei Ohtani’s record-setting deal. But they have also been hell-bent on adding a quality starting pitcher or two to front their rotation, although Tuesday night’s turn of events did not do them much favors in that regard.
One of the Red Sox’s primary starting pitcher targets, Blake Snell, is now off the market after he signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the good news is that the Red Sox haven’t yet put all their eggs on that basket. In fact, they still have plenty of options in terms of addressing their need for an ace, and they are now shifting their focus towards another one of their primary targets.
According to Bob Nightengale, the Red Sox are now dedicating their efforts towards getting lefty Max Fried to sign on the dotted line.
Red Sox badly need pitching reinforcements
The Red Sox’s starting pitching in 2024 was the very definition of “mid” — which is simply expected for a team that finished with an 81-81 record. They had no clear-cut ace, although it became clear in the end that Tanner Houck was their best pitcher.
The problem was that the Red Sox did not have a reliable lefty starter in the rotation; they tried to throw James Paxton into the mix, but he lasted for all of three games.
The Red Sox have made it clear that they’re not entering the 2025 season without major additions to their roster, both in their everyday lineup and in the starting rotation. And from the get-go, Max Fried has looked to be the most likely major free-agent that they will sign — and with Blake Snell now off the market, a greater sense of urgency is there for Boston to secure the services of the 30-year-old southpaw.
Fried is among the best starting pitchers on the free-agent market. He started in 29 games last season and pitched in 174.1 innings, recording an ERA of 3.25 to go along with 166 strikeouts. And he has a long track record of being a productive starter, making him a no-brainer pick-up for the Red Sox if they could pull it off.
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