Insider Predicts Red Sox Will Sign $68 Million Dodgers Ace To Be Opening Day Starter

Does making this signing signal a successful offseason?

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Who will take the ball when the Red Sox open their 2025 season in Arlington, Texas?

Starting pitching will be the focus of the winter for the Red Sox, and specifically, high-end starting pitching is the front office's stated target. Boston is pledging to do better in 2025, the only thing it can do after three straight mediocre seasons, and that cannot happen if the rotation carries on undermanned.

On Opening Day of 2024, Brayan Bello took the hill for the Red Sox in Seattle, surrendering two earned runs in five innings on the way to his first win of the season. If anyone on the Red Sox's current roster will get the assignment in 2025, though, it's likely All-Star Tanner Houck and his 3.12 ERA.

However, one insider believes the Red Sox will look outside the organization in this case. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic was asked to rank realistic Opening Day starters for the 2025 Red Sox, and chose current Los Angeles Dodgers ace Jack Flaherty as her most likely scenario.

"Flaherty is a righty and just turned 29 while Fried is a lefty and will be 31 in January. Both had similar seasons with Flaherty posting a 3.17 ERA and 29.8 percent strikeout rate in 28 starts and Fried posting a 3.25 ERA and 23.2 percent strikeout rate in 29 starts," McCaffrey said.

"The Athletic’s Jim Bowden has some early contract projections and pegs Fried for six years, $174 million, while he has Flaherty at three years, $68 million... It feels like the Red Sox would prefer a shorter deal like Flaherty’s, but Fried would give them a lefty in the rotation even if they had to surrender a draft pick, though it would be a longer-term investment."

Flaherty is one of the only pitchers in Major League Baseball with starts to make between now and Opening Day--and they're big ones. Friday night, he will start Game 1 of the World Series against the Red Sox's arch-nemesis, the New York Yankees.

Bringing Flaherty to Boston would demonstrate that these Red Sox are once again committed to competing for postseason glory. If it costs them less than nine figures to do so, that's a nice added bonus.

More MLB: Red Sox Could Land 'Most Coveted' Superstar Pitcher On Minor-League Deal, Per Insider