Red Sox Battling Yankees, Blue Jays For $175 Million Two-Time All-Star, Per Insider

Stiff competition on the horizon...

Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Boston Red Six chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The American League East is always hotly competitive, but this winter, the animosity could reach a fever pitch.

So far, three of the five teams in the division--the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays--are trying to establish themselves as the top dogs of the free-agent pool. They're all in the hunt for superstar outfielder Juan Soto, but that's hardly the only name on all three teams' minds.

The Red Sox also need starting pitching, and they seem to be drawn to former Atlanta Braves star Max Fried. With Blake Snell off the board, Fried is undoubtedly the top lefty starter still available, and the Red Sox would be fortunate to grab him.

If they do want Fried, though, one insider believes the Red Sox's division rivals are their top competition.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Thursday that the Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays were the top three contenders to land Fried, with the San Francisco Giants possibly entering the mix as well.

"While suggesting that the Max Fried sweepstakes is an AL East-only affair would be an exaggeration, interest continues to come from Boston, New York and Toronto. San Francisco could be in the mix, too," Passan said.

And with the high early prices for free agent starting pitching (annual values for the pitchers who have signed include Blake Snell at $36 million, Yusei Kikuchi at $21 million, Frankie Montas at $17 million and Matthew Boyd at $14.5 million), Fried should do very well."

Fried, 31, is an obvious target for the Red Sox for several reasons. He's left-handed, unlike any of Boston's current starters, and he's made two All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves, and took home a World Series ring the last time the Red Sox made the playoffs in 2021.

Passan's ESPN coworker David Schoenfield recently predicted that Fried would get a $175 million contract, the second-biggest deal Boston would have ever handed out to a starting pitcher. If they're serious about beating out the Yankees and Blue Jays, though, that may have to be the starting offer.

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