Red Sox Surprisingly Predicted To Land 3-Time Cy Young Winner For $10 Million

Does this former superstar still have something left in the tank?

Jun 5, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of ball bags on the field during warm ups before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

If Tuesday night proved anything, it's that the Boston Red Sox need to consider all their options when it comes to the starting pitching market.

When Blake Snell signed a $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, many Red Sox fans were blindsided. Not only was Boston believed to be in on Snell, but the dollar amount was much higher than many contract projections for Snell had recently forecasted.

Boston is likely pivoting its pursuit of an ace to names like Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, but in the meantime, they need to consider some high-upside plays for the back of the rotation, both if they succeed in landing an ace or if they don't.

One interesting name for the Red Sox is an aging three-time Cy Young Award winner: Max Scherzer.

Scherzer, who is now 40, had an injury-plagued 2024 season, starting just nine games for the Texas Rangers. Jacob Hitz of FOX 43 predicted that Scherzer would sign a one-year, $10 million deal with the Red Sox in 2025.

"I'm very concerned about Scherzer's longevity, which should be a red flag to any team in contention for him," Hitz said.  

"Yes, he still pitches at a high level, but if it's only for 10 games in a season, is it worth it?  I think he lands in Boston, where if Scherzer does find the injury bug, they have the resources to get by without him."

On one hand, Scherzer had pitched in at least 23 games in every full-length season of his career, so it would be fair to call 2024 an aberration. On the other, it wasn't just one injury that plagued him; he had offseason back surgery, then a thumb problem during his rehab, then a hamstring strain that ended his year prematurely.

If Scherzer winds up being the only free agent the Red Sox sign, fans have every right to be upset, because expectations can only be set so high for a 40-year-old. But if the future Hall of Famer finds magic for one more season, he'd be a great bonus piece to shore up the back half of the rotation.

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