The Red Sox could be on track toward spending big at key positions this offseason, and insiders are reading the tea leaves on the players who could be heading to Fenway Park.
Blake Snell was a popular target for Boston, but the two-time Cy Young winner reportedly agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox reportedly turned their focus on the other top pitchers on the market amid their chase for Juan Soto.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden noted in a Friday mailbag column that the Red Sox are “all-in” this offseason. He questioned if they could land Juan Soto, but he did identify the targets he “won’t be surprised” that Boston signs.
“They seem more committed to the starting pitching side of the market and are playing on Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Roki Sasaki — and I won’t be surprised if they land two of them,” Bowden wrote. “I also see them adding a bat, with (Teoscar) Hernández or (Anthony) Santander more likely than Soto.”
Boston fans seem locked in on the idea of Craig Breslow and his staff securing Soto. However, if the Red Sox were to land two frontline starters and a strong right-handed bat, that’d also be a win for the franchise seeking to turn around their fortunes.
The dominoes could fall once Soto makes his decision, but the starting pitching market got going more quickly than last free agency, so Burnes, Fried or Sasaki could be signed before the winter meetings next month.
