Red Sox Among Five Clubs Aiming To Land Multiple Starters In Loaded Market
If there's one thing that's been made clear during the early parts of the offseason, it's that the Boston Red Sox do not plan on rolling out the same roster next year.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has not shied away from the team's pitching deficiencies and is actively pursuing all avenues to bolster the rotation.
Unfortunately, they will not be the only big-market suitor for frontline pitching this winter.
"At least the (St. Louis) Cardinals, Red Sox, (Los Angeles) Dodgers, (Los Angeles) Angels and (New York) Mets are thought to be aiming for two (or more) starters, and one team is saying every last dollar is going to its rotation," The New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday. "Viable starters are primed to hit the jackpot."
The Cardinals starting-pitching struggles mirrored Boston's in many ways but they are also said to have interest in bolstering the bullpen. It's a real possibility that the team putting every dollar they have into the rotation could be the Red Sox -- though that would require trades for a couple of right-handed bats.
Regardless, it's notable to see a report supporting the fact that the Red Sox will attempt to land multiple starters, especially after Breslow said Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck will be stretched out as starters -- which was blown massively out of proportion.
There are many starting pitchers that would fit perfectly into the Red Sox's plans -- though Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto could be holding up the market until he's posted.
When pitchers start to come off the board, expect the Red Sox to be brought up in just about every big-name pitcher's sweepstakes.
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