The Red Sox already missed out on one of the three clear-cut best starting pitchers who entered the open market last month.
But is there a chance Boston scoops up both of the other two?
The Red Sox reportedly “really wanted” Blake Snell, who passed on the opportunity to join Boston and signed with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. That five-year contract left Max Fried and Corbin Burnes as the best starters still available in MLB free agency.
Craig Breslow and company reportedly have expressed interest in both star arms, and if you ask USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, there’s a scenario where Fried and Burnes take their talents to Boston.
“They’ve (Red Sox) talked a huge game all winter, and have been in strong pursuit of (Juan) Soto. Yet, whether they land Soto or not, they can’t stop now. They have to sign Fried or Burnes, or even both,” Nightengale wrote in a column published Sunday.
To be clear, it doesn’t feel very likely the Red Sox will sign both Burnes and Fried. The starters appear to have overlapping markets that include big spenders like the New York Yankees.
But as Nightengale noted, it’s imperative for Boston to improve its rotation this winter. Either Fried or Burnes would help fulfill that objective.
