Red Sox Sign Coveted Hurler Out Of Japan In Proposed Blockbuster Move

Boston's pitching staff needs a complete makeover

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The Boston Red Sox must dramatically improve their pitching rotation if they plan on becoming contenders in 2025.

It will be up to chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to make a splash this winter on the free agent market, and Breslow is expected to vie for the best starters the market has to offer.

While a Corbin Burnes or a Max Fried would be nice, it would behoove Breslow to think outside the box and become an aggressive suitor for 22-year-old Japanese phenom Rōki Sasaki, who has been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs as he prepares to make the move to Major League Baseball.

Sasaki would be the acquisition of the offseason for the Red Sox if Breslow found a way to pull off a deal. Not only would Sasaki immediately improve Boston’s rotation, but his arrival would stir up a ton of positive buzz around a team that is struggling to look like a contender to its fan base.

The signing would also be a badge of honor for Breslow, as it would show that he’s capable of competing with the heaviest hitters on the free agent market and that Boston is once again a force to be reckoned with on that market.

The financial implications of a Sasaki contract are potentially too good to be true. Due to rules pertaining to the international bonus pool, Sasaki would only be able to earn up to $7 million initially, meaning Boston wouldn’t have to break the bank to bring him aboard.

Breslow could snag Sasaki and still have money left over to spend on another pitcher, further consolidating the new rotation.

Will Breslow make it his mission to be among the top suitors for Sasaki? His 101 MPH fastball would look great at Fenway Park next season.

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