Boston Red Sox Going After Baltimore Orioles Free Agent John Means, Per Report

While injuries have limited John Means to 10 starts with the Baltimore Orioles over the past three seasons, the Boston Red Sox may be willing to sign the lefty as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery.

May 22, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher John Means (47) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have spoken with free agent pitcher John Means, MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported Thursday.

Means, 31, underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career back in June, meaning he is unlikely to pitch in the first half of the 2025 regular season. The Baltimore Orioles, who drafted Means in 2014, let the left-hander hit the open market last month.

In four starts this past season, Means went 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA, 0.871 WHIP and a 0.7 WAR.

Have heard the Red Sox have had some talks with John Means, who is a free agent.

— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 12, 2024

Means was an All-Star and AL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2019, going 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA, 1.135 WHIP and a 4.4 WAR across 155.0 innings of work. He remained a staple in the Orioles' rotation in 2020, then became their Opening Day starter in both 2021 and 2022.

However, Means underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2022, knocking him out for the rest of that season and most of the next. Baltimore signed the southpaw to a two-year, $5.925 million contract to avoid arbitration amid his recovery, only to see him go down again midway through 2024.

Means has made a total of 10 starts over the past three seasons, but he has been effective when healthy. Between 2022 and 2024, Means has gone 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA, 0.860 WHIP and 1.6 WAR, averaging 5.1 innings per start.

The Red Sox swung a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, acquiring All-Star starting pitcher Garrett Crochet in exchange for four top prospects. And yet, their interest in Means, Corbin Burnes, Luis Castillo and others suggests that they aren't done adding to their rotation just yet.

Crochet, Brayan Bello and Tanner Houck are effectively cemented into Boston's rotation for 2025. Kutter Crawford could stake a claim to a starting job as well, considering 68 of his 85 big league appearances over the past three seasons have been starts.

Then there's top prospect Richard Fitts, who posted a 1.74 ERA and 0.6 WAR across his first four MLB starts in 2024. Swingman Cooper Criswell is also in the mix, as are former All-Stars Lucas Giolito and Michael Fulmer, both of whom are coming off UCL surgeries of their own.

Since Means wouldn't be able to take the mound in the majors until late in 2025, he wouldn't fill an immediate need for Boston, whose front office seems to be in the market for one more reliable starter. Regardless, the Red Sox had no problem signing Fulmer and All-Star closer Liam Hendriks last winter, knowing full well they were bound to miss all of 2024.

Means could be the Red Sox's latest reclamation project – one with an incredibly high ceiling upon his return.

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