Red Sox Strongly Urged To Sign Phenom With Shockingly Low Price Tag

The Red Sox certainly should be all over a move like this

Jun 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A bucket of baseballs sits on the grass before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox need at least one new starting pitcher this winter.

This is a huge understatement.

Boston took a step forward in 2024, but it still needs another ace-level pitcher if the organization wants to make it back to the playoffs in 2025. The Red Sox have been tied to every big-name player that either is available now in free agency or has even the slightest chance of being traded.

It seems like the Red Sox are doing their due diligence and at least are considering all of their options. It wouldn't be shocking to see a move get done soon, but The Athletic's Jim Bowden made a somewhat surprising suggestion.

Most of the chatter around the Red Sox has been about high-priced players like Max Fried or Corbin Burnes. Bowden instead called Boston his "favorite match" for young phenom Rōki Sasaki.

"Favorite match: Red Sox," Bowden said. "Sasaki fits with all 30 teams, but there will be no bidding war in terms of money. Because of his age, he will be considered an international amateur free agent, so Sasaki will receive only international bonus pool money from whatever club is fortunate enough to sign him. He’s going to prioritize stability, lifestyle and a team’s track record with player development in making his decision...

"The Red Sox have a promising pitching program under Andrew Bailey and their leadership team of manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, along with minority owner Theo Epstein working behind the scenes, could provide a solid foundation for Sasaki. He could maximize endorsements in the large market of Boston and become the face of their pitching staff for years to come."

Sasaki recently turned 23 years old and is considered by many to be one of the best pitching prospects in recent memory. Because of his young age, he only will end up receiving a few million dollars rather than a mega deal like Yoshinobu Yamamoto got last year. Yamamoto signed for $325 million but Sasaki is younger and many think he is better.

Sasaki will receive a portion -- or all of -- a team's international bonus pool funds. That could be anywhere from around $1 million to close to $7 million. The Red Sox certainly should do everything possible to bring him in.

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