As the baseball Winter Meetings kick off, reports suggest that the Boston Red Sox are still in the running to sign Juan Soto. However, if their pursuit of Soto falls short, the team’s leadership has set fan expectations so high that they will be compelled to sign a significant free agent pitcher, according to a prominent Major League insider.
“They’ve talked a huge game all winter, and have been in strong pursuit of Soto. Yet, whether they land Soto or not, they can’t stop now,” wrote longtime baseball columnist Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “The expectations are simply too high to sit back and tell everyone that they tried.”
Boston Must Build a Better Starting Rotation
The Red Sox need to improve their starting rotation. While their starters were decent in 2024 at preventing runs, with a 3.81 ERA that ranked seventh in MLB and fifth in the American League, they fell short in terms of staying deep into games.
Boston’s starting pitchers logged 839 2/3 innings last season, averaging just over five innings per game. This ranked them 16th in MLB, reflecting a mediocre performance. Their inability to pitch deeper into games placed excessive strain on the bullpen, which struggled in the second half. Red Sox relievers posted a 4.39 ERA, ranking 24th in MLB. They finished 11th in holds (relievers maintaining the lead when they leave the game) and converted only 40 saves out of 71 chances.
Of the 71 saves recorded by the Red Sox last season, only 13 were made by players other than future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen, who finished his two-year contract with the team and is not expected to return.
This offseason, the Red Sox are reportedly targeting two top free agent pitchers: left-handed Max Fried, formerly of the Atlanta Braves, and right-handed Corbin Burnes, who pitched for the Baltimore Orioles on a one-year contract after six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Burnes’ Price Tag Expected to Exceed $200 Million
Given that the Red Sox’s starting rotation struggled with stamina last season, they will likely need a pitcher who is not only an ace but also durable. Corbin Burnes fits that bill, having pitched over 190 innings in each of the last three seasons. At 30 years old, he is likely entering his prime. In 2024, Burnes logged 194 1/3 innings, the sixth-most in MLB, just 12 1/3 behind the leader, Logan Gilbert of the Seattle Mariners.
While Burnes will command a high price, the Red Sox, who are reportedly willing to spend around $700 million on Juan Soto, should be able to afford at least one top pitcher, whether or not they land Soto. SpoTrac estimates Burnes’ market value at $180.8 million over six years, but due to rapidly changing market conditions, this figure may be on the low end, according to Nightengale.
Both Corbin Burnes and Max Fried are expected to command at least $200 million each, according to the insider report. However, if the Red Sox do not land Juan Soto, it would make sense for them to allocate significant funds to other free agents, with a starting pitcher being their top priority on the shopping list.
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