The Boston Red Sox are aggressively pursuing top talent this offseason, and their ambitions extend far beyond All-Star outfielder Juan Soto. Although Boston remains one of the four potential suitors for Soto, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the club is poised to make significant moves elsewhere. Nightengale reports that the Red Sox are keenly interested in signing not one, but two of the marquee starting pitchers on the market: Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Blake Snell. While it’s uncertain whether they’ll succeed in landing two of these aces, the Red Sox are more determined to sign at least one of the left-handers, Fried or Snell.
But the Red Sox’ offseason plans don’t stop there.
Ambitious Offseason Plans in Store for Red Sox
The same report from Nightengale indicates that Boston is seriously pursuing shortstop Willy Adames, who has expressed a willingness to transition to third base under the right circumstances. Notably, this development comes despite the presence of Rafael Devers at the hot corner. However, there are reportedly discussions about potentially relocating Devers, which could pave the way for the Red Sox to sign Adames or Alex Bregman. Alternatively, Boston might explore a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals to acquire Nolan Arenado.
If the Red Sox fail to land Soto, they have a backup plan in place. MLB Insider Jon Morosi considers Boston to be one of the top candidates to sign Teoscar Hernández.
“If Juan Soto goes somewhere else … get ready to listen to a lot of conversation about Teoscar and the Boston Red Sox,” Morosi said during Friday’s edition of Hot Stove.
Hernandez, 32, is coming off a strong season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit a career-high 33 home runs in what was his first season in the National League after spending eight years in the American League. During that time, Hernandez posted good numbers as a visitor in Fenway Park. Hernandez has 14 home runs in 170 at-bats with a robust .282/.344/.606 slash line.
The Hot Stove Remains Frigid Once Again
While the offseason has been slow to heat up, with only minor-league signings, the non-tender deadline, and rumors about Soto’s dining preferences in Southern California making headlines, there are signs that things are about to pick up. The most notable free-agent signings to date have been Yusei Kikuchi‘s three-year, $63 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels and Travis d’Arnaud‘s two-year, $12 million contract, also with the Angels.
The biggest trade so far has been the swap between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals, with infielder Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer heading to the Royals in exchange for right-hander Brady Singers.
However, conversations with general managers, executives, and agents over the past week suggest that the offseason is on the verge of heating up. Expect a flurry of trades and marquee free-agent signings to unfold after Thanksgiving, culminating in a busy week at the annual baseball winter meetings, which kick off on December 8 in Dallas.
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