Insider's Proposed Red Sox Blockbuster Lands $138 Million All-Star From NL West

Should the Red Sox listen to this insider's advice?

Jun 7, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A general view of an Arizona Diamondbacks hat and Rawlings glove in the dugout during the fifth inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images / Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox need an ace. There's just one problem: starting pitching has never been more expensive.

Everyone's market value seems to be inflated this winter, and the top starters on the market are no exception. Blake Snell's $182 million deal with the Dodgers blew expectations out of the water, which had to make dollar signs flash in the eyes of other free agents like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried.

If they don't want to pay the sticker price, there's another option for the Red Sox: trade from their deep prospect pool to find their ace another way.

In trade talks this winter, there's been one name on the minds of nearly everyone in the sport: Garrett Crochet. The 25-year-old Chicago White Sox ace won't be useful on the Southside during a daunting rebuild, so he's likely to be traded for as much young talent as the White Sox can find.

However, insider Rob Bradford of Audacy doesn't believe Crochet is the name the Red Sox should be targeting. Instead, he urged Boston to look into acquiring Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, who is entering his final year of team control and therefore might not cost as much in prospect capital.

“But now what you have is that you have to compete with some of these other teams, including the Blue Jays, by the way, who lost out on Soto, who are in the same desperation that you are to get a Max Fried or Corbin Burnes,” Bradford said Monday on WEEI’s Jones and Keefe.

“If I’m a team, and I have Zac Gallen for Arizona, I absolutely say, ‘Hey, this isn’t going to cost as much as Crochet. So, Boston Red Sox, you need a starter. Here.’ You go trade for him. I think that there might be a starter out there that they have that we aren’t talking about that they might trade for instead of maybe getting uncomfortable for one of these other guys.”

Gallen, 30, had a 14-6 record with a 3.65 ERA this season across 148 innings. He started the All-Star Game in 2023, finished third in Cy Young voting, and guided his team to an unexpected berth in the World Series.

Gallen is currently projected for a six-year, $138 million extension by Spotrac's market value tool, a number that frankly seems paltry compared to the numbers other aces are signing for. The righty may be dead set on reaching free agency after this year, but it would at least be worth the effort to try and extend him beforehand.

The Diamondbacks certainly have not expressed a strong interest in trading Gallen, but it makes sense why they might try to, rather than losing him for nothing at the end of the year. If there's any sign of desperation from Arizona, the Red Sox should pounce instantly.

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