Boston 'willing to get uncomfortable' to sign starter
DALLAS -- The Red Sox were hit with a double whammy at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday, as not only did a free agent they pursued heavily in lefty Max Fried slip away, but he wound up with the rival Yankees. A source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that the deal is worth $218 million over eight years.
Meanwhile, a reunion with Nathan Eovaldi won’t happen either, as news broke later in the day that he re-upped with the Rangers for a three-year, $75 million deal.
Last week, Blake Snell -- another Boston target -- signed with the Dodgers.
Where does all this leave the Red Sox in their quest for a No. 1 pitcher?
“It remains,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said. “Obviously it’s a need. We've talked about that, and so we'll stay active and engaged and continue to try to uncover fast toward doing that, without getting into specifics about pursuits. We need to remain aggressive and convicted in our decision making.”
The price for free-agent pitchers thus far in this Hot Stove season has been high to say the least. Corbin Burnes is the one true ace still on the board.
Breslow didn’t cite names, but he indicated the Red Sox are still willing to spend big for a starter.
“I think my general approach here is that in order to attract free-agent talent, you kind have to be willing to get uncomfortable,” said Breslow. “And don't think it would be fair to speak about any individual pursuits or deals outside of saying that I think that is the sentiment of our room, and we recognize as we're trying to improve our team, this can't be about doing what feels perfectly comfortable.”
There is also the trade market.
Emerging White Sox ace Garrett Crochet continues to be dangled by the rebuilding White Sox and brings with him considerable upside. There’s a chance he could break out in 2025 like Tarik Skubal did in Detroit last season.
“I think we have to be open to all paths. So, I think to close off either free agency or trade would be foolish,” said Breslow. “And that would severely diminish the chances of accomplishing what we hope to accomplish. If you are a team who's holding controllable, front of the rotation starting pitching, you are very well aware of what the market looks like in free agency and you can rightfully ask for a pretty significant return.”
Any deal for Crochet would likely require the Sox dealing one of their top prospects and probably a player or two from their emerging Major League core.
Then there is another type of option altogether in Japanese righty Roki Sasaki, who was officially posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines on Tuesday.
Because the ultra-talented Sasaki is 23 years old, he is only eligible to sign a Minor League contract. Teams can dip into their international signing bonus, which doesn’t kick in until Jan. 15, to land Sasaki.
What the Red Sox would need to do to land this player is make a persuasive presentation. Sasaki’s agent Joel Wolfe said that Sasaki is in the process of flying to the United States.
In the near future, Sasaki will identify which teams he’d like to meet with. You can be sure the Red Sox will try to get on his list.
Breslow went to Japan in September to scout one of his starts.
“And this is someone who makes any rotation better the moment that [he joins],” said Breslow. “As we think about pursuing front-of-the-rotation options, I think it makes sense to canvas the entire landscape, and we’ll be as aggressive and as strategic as possible.”
What could the Red Sox do to convince Sasaki they represent his best option? For one, they have a history of Japanese pitchers (Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa) who won championships in Boston and enjoyed living there.
“I think the Boston Red Sox have a long history of success in making a smooth transition and creating an environment where international players -- and Japanese players in particular -- can be successful and can thrive,” said Breslow. “So, we have a robust infrastructure and a number of long-tenured support staff, from massage therapists and strength and conditioning coaches, to athletic trainers that I think can help. I think there is a meaningful difference between kind of hiring to create the infrastructure in response to a particular pursuit, versus having these people embedded in the organization and understanding what a season looks like.”
Breslow remains friendly with Uehara from the three years they pitched together in Boston’s bullpen, including the 2013 championship year. Perhaps Uehara can be used as a recruiter. Wolf also mentioned that Matsuzaka is one of Sasaki’s pitching idols, so he could be another resource.