Red Sox, Yankees Could Ignite Bidding War For Star Lefty, Per Insider

The MLB offseason is finally starting to heat up

Sep 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Things finally are starting to get interesting across Major League Baseball this offseason.

There have been a lot of rumors and speculation already but not much to show for it. There still haven't been a lot of moves made this offseason yet, but a massive one went down on Tuesday night. The reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly landed two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell on a $182 million deal, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Snell was one of the top players available in free agency and is the first of three elite starters to sign. With Snell off the market, that leaves Corbin Burnes and Max Fried as the remaining superstar starters available.

They both surely will cash in and the Boston Red Sox have been linked to both this offseason. Now that Snell is off the market, things only will get more difficult for Boston to land a star and MLB.com's Mark Feinsand suggested that a bidding war could be on the horizon between Boston and the New York Yankees for Fried.

"The Red Sox and Yankees are believed to be seeking a left-handed starter, which could ultimately mean a bidding war between the rivals for Max Fried," Feinsand said. "If one of those clubs signs Fried, the other could potentially pivot to the trade market, where White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet can likely be had for the right price.

"If both teams miss out on Fried, the White Sox could be in the driver’s seat, as Crochet is considered to be a notch above the rest of the left-handed starters on the free-agent market (Sean Manaea, Matthew Boyd, Andrew Heaney, José Quintana)."

Fried is a two-time All-Star who certainly would give Boston what it is looking for. Hopefully, the Red Sox can move quickly before another team like New York could make a deal.

More MLB: Red Sox 'Focusing' On Two-Time All-Star After Missing On $182M Star