Red Sox Must Pay 'Pretty Penny' For Projected $180 Million Superstar In Free Agency

There's no reason to keep playing it safe...

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It is painfully obvious that the Boston Red Sox need starting pitching help in 2025. But how much help are they willing to break the bank for?

Following an 81-81 season in which the starting rotation crumbled during the dog days of summer, the Red Sox aren't far away from being contenders, especially in a fairly mediocre American League nowadays. But they can't enter another season without a true ace atop their staff to set the tone.

Those aces can be had in free agency, but the Red Sox are going to have to pay up, which they haven't been willing to do in the past few free-agent cycles. Not only must they do so, but there is a clear-cut top arm they need to be willing to outbid their competition to sign.

Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes is coming off his fourth-straight All-Star season, and is the number-one target the Red Sox should be considering. Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston also ranked Burnes as the number-one free-agent starting pitcher in the current class.

"Burnes will cost a pretty penny as the most coveted pitcher on the market, but he'll almost certainly be worth the hefty price tag," Leger said. "He's proven to be one of the most durable starters in the game (three straight years with 30+ starts) and is a virtual lock to post an ERA around 3.00, roughly 200 innings, and 200 strikeouts in a season."

Burnes, who turned 30 on Tuesday, has been incredible since the start of 2020, racking up a 52-31 record, 2.88 ERA, and 947 strikeouts in 137 games. He sacrificed some strikeout potential in 2024 by pitching to contact, and it resulted in a lower ERA than the previous season while hopefully preserving the health of his arm.

The key to Burnes' value, and the reason Spotrac's projection of $180 million may come in light, is durability. He's made 125 starts in the past four years, which is more than any other pitcher in baseball. That would be a godsend to the Red Sox, and they should be willing to pay whatever it takes to ensure Burnes is at the top of their rotation.

There's going to be competition, and sometimes, teams lose out on free agents even when the money is equal on all sides. But the Red Sox haven't been the highest bidders on premier free agents in a few years. That has to change, and Burnes is the perfect opportunity to reverse the trend.

More MLB: Red Sox Injured $90 Million Trade Chip Could Be Buy-Low Candidate For AL West Team