American League East Rival Showing Interest In Red Sox Free Agent

Boston should be actively rooting against this partnership

Scott Neville | Jan 12, 2024

American League East Rival Showing Interest In Red Sox Free Agent /

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Could the Boston Red Sox lose out on a rumored reunion candidate to an American League East rival?

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been fairly inactive in the starting pitcher market -- swapping out Lucas Giolito for Chris Sale -- and still needs at least one more arm in the rotation.

Unless he is able to shock the ailing fanbase and land Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell, Breslow would be looking for value plays.

If Boston does not act fast for one of the best fits remaining, it could have to face the southpaw multiple times next season.

"The (Baltimore) Orioles have considered every starter from Marcus Stroman on down (they couldn’t seriously consider Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery 'unless the market collapsed.') Baltimore also has been eying James Paxton," The New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday.

Paxton posted a 4.50 ERA (101 ERA+) with a 101-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .250 batting average against and 1.31 WHIP in 96 innings across 19 starts last season for the Red Sox.

The 35-year-old became an anchor for Boston down the stretch in what became a successful comeback attempt from injury. The Red Sox reportedly had been in constant contact with Paxton around Christmas before they seemingly started to create separation.

It's probable that Breslow has interest in bringing the veteran back but would first like to see if he can acquire a more impactful addition. Time might be running out on both fronts, as the star power is dwindling and Paxton is getting other calls.

The Orioles have a bevy of young position players ready to do damage -- their only real weakness is their pitching staff. Paxton would be a notable addition for them as a league-average starter paired with a great core can win a lot of games.

More MLB: Yankees Reportedly Sign Red Sox Free-Agent Target To Bolster Rotation

Published Jan 12, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu