Red Sox Deemed Potential Surprise Suitor For Six Remaining Marquee Free Agents

Boston could use some notable additions

Scott Neville | Feb 8, 2024

Red Sox Deemed Potential Surprise Suitor For Six Remaining Marquee Free Agents /

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Boston Red Sox

Will the Boston Red Sox salvage their offseason with a splash or two in the final days of the offseason?

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow remains interested in adding starting pitching and an impact right-handed bat with positional versatility.

Both needs could be filled at the top of the market, and there has been some belief throughout the industry that the Red Sox will be forced to make a notable move at some point this winter.

"Then again, underestimating (super agent Scott Boras) is dangerous, particularly when many clubs, notably the Cubs, Giants, Blue Jays and Angels, still appear capable of spending big," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote Thursday. "A surprise team or two (Red Sox, hello?) also could be lurking. So it’s entirely possible the Boras Five and a sixth prominent free agent, Jorge Soler (represented by Dan Lozano), will be handsomely paid."

The "Boras Five" refers to outfielder Cody Bellinger, third baseman Matt Chapman, southpaws Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery plus designated hitter J.D. Martinez.

Out of all the aforementioned names, Montgomery and Soler appear to be the most logical fits for the Red Sox. Snell would be a notable upgrade as well but he has a qualifying offer attached to him. Breslow has been adamantly against costing the team future wins this offseason and losing a top draft pick fits that mold.

With Boras holding out for as long as he can, the Red Sox have an opportunity to sign Montgomery and get back closer to relevancy without giving up draft-pick compensation, prospects or franchise-altering money.

Soler would be a strong fit as well but his role is not nearly as impactful as a frontline starting pitcher given the team's overall position-player depth compared to their abysmal pitching pipeline.

Until Montgomery signs, there is a glimmer of hope that the Red Sox leadership group will come to their senses and upgrade their roster.

More MLB: Red Sox Lose Pair Of Hurlers As Phillies, Twins Poach Boston's Pitching Staff

Published Feb 8, 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