Red Sox Will Be 'In The Mix' For 23-Year-Old Phenom, Insider Reports

Boston has what it takes to still make a game-changing move

Jul 24, 2020; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; An image outside Fenway Park on an empty Jersey Street before the start of the game against the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox may have missed out on the biggest free agent of the offseason, but that doesn't mean the club can't still make significant additions.

Superstar slugger Juan Soto signed a reported $765 million deal with the New York Mets and now the Red Sox need to pivot elsewhere. The Red Sox's biggest needs are one or two frontline starting pitchers, one or two right-handed bats, and some high-leverage bullpen arms.

This has been the case all of the offseason to this point and has been discussed at length. Boston has made one big move already and signed seven-time All-Star Aroldis Chapman. The Red Sox need to make other moves and the starting rotation should be an easy way to do so.

There are some high-priced players out there like Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, but there is one cheaper option out there that could be even better. Former Chiba Lotte Marines phenom Rōki Sasaki is available and will be pitching in Major League Baseball in 2025.

He recently turned 23 years old and has a career 2.02 ERA across four professional baseball seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Because of his age, there are international bonus pool money restrictions and therefore he won't land a mega deal. In comparison, the Los Angeles Dodgers handed Yoshinobu Yamamoto a historic $325 million deal last offseason. Some have regarded Sasaki as a better prospect than Yamamoto, plus he's younger. But, he will get paid just a fraction of what Yamamoto got.

He's someone that could immediately bolster a contender's rotation and The Athletic's Jim Bowden said the Red Sox will be "in the mix" for him over the next few weeks.

"Rōki Sasaki is now expected to sign with an MLB team between January 15-23rd," Bowden said. "(San Diego Padres, Mets, (New York Yankees), Red Sox, (Tampa Bay Rays), (Chicago Cubs), (Los Angeles Dodgers), (Philadelphia Phillies) among the teams in the mix. Potential income from endorsements, chances to win, and pitching development will be three key factors in his decision, sources."

Boston may have missed out on Soto, but landing Sasaki would be another fantastic option.

More MLB: Three Emergency Options For Red Sox After Mets' $765M Juan Soto Deal