Red Sox Are The Team That 'Should' Sign Rival Superstar, According To Report

Maybe Boston should pursue the marquee pitcher, but will they?

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

It seems like the Boston Red Sox are close to being a playoff team. But as the second half of this season has shown, there undoubtedly holes to be addressed.

The Red Sox's bats have gone quiet of late, but that happens to every team at some point. The more pressing issue, from a future roster construction standpoint, is the pitching staff.

Boston's team ERA has skyrocketed since the All-Star break, both for starters and relievers. It isn' t that there's a total lack of pitching talent, but for each of the past three seasons, it's been the depth that has sunk the Red Sox on the mound.

If one thing could solve all the Red Sox's pitching heartaches, it would be acquiring a true number-one starter. And one recent report gives them at least a fighting chance at landing that ace.

On Wednesday, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report ranked the Red Sox as the sixth-most likely destination for Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes--but added that the Red Sox would be wise to make an aggressive pursuit.

"The Red Sox are the team that should sign Burnes, and they can look back to the David Price signing for encouragement that such a risk could ultimately pay off," Rymer said. "Alas, the organization is more frugal and more protective of draft picks than it used to be."

Rymer appears to touch on many Red Sox fans' greatest fear here, which is that Boston's days of pursuing big-name free agents are behind them. They weren't serious players for Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, or even Jordan Montgomery.

Is there any reason to think they will be with Burnes?

If there's any player available in 2024 worth breaking the bank for, it's the 2021 National League Cy Young winner. Not only has Burnes been excellent for half a decade, but he's durable. He's made 121 starts since the start of 2021.

At times, Red Sox starting pitching has been quite impressive this season, but all of their usual starters have looked fatigued at some point. They need a workhorse who can take the stress off the rest of the rotation, and it's easy to envision Burnes becoming that guy.

If the Red Sox step up and lure Burnes to Boston, they'll ease a lot of minds about where the franchise is headed in the coming season. But ultimately, as it has become with all big-money deals, that's a question to be answered by Red Sox ownership.

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