Red Sox Top Target May Be Interested In Joining Club According To Latest Chatter

Could the Red Sox actually land the top available free agent ace?

The Boston Red Sox are linked to the top available free agent starting pitcher. 

This isn't too surprising as Boston has plenty of money to spend and a clear need in the rotation. Boston's starting pitching was the club's Achilles heel in 2023 and a major reason why the team won just 78 games. Luckily for the Red Sox, this offseason there will be a very deep class of free agent hurlers.

The top name available will be Orix Buffaloes star Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He may land a contract north of $200 million and Boston has been mentioned as a possible fit on numerous occasions. While it's unclear how likely a move is, the latest chatter should give Red Sox fans hope, according to The Athletic's Will Sammon. 

"Similar to how (Kodai Senga) felt last offseason, Yamamoto covets the opportunity to play in a large market, league sources say," Sammon said. "Regarding Senga, some Japanese players are uncomfortable being major-league teammates with other Japanese players, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier this year, because of the importance of seniority in Japan's hierarchical culture. Not Yamamoto.

"He is believed to have an open mind about the possibility of playing alongside another Japanese player. League sources said that Yamamoto's experience playing in the World Baseball Classic with other stars from Japan helped influence his thinking in that regard."

Yamamoto immediately would pencil in as Boston's top hurler. He is just 25 years old and has a career 1.72 ERA in seven professional seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. The Red Sox have Yamamoto's former teammate Masataka Yoshida already on the roster and he even has discussed the possibility of reuniting. 

Boston is one of the biggest markets in baseball. Plus, the club has plenty of money to spend. Mixing those facts plus the possibility of reuniting with Yoshida should make Boston an attractive landing spot for Yamamoto. It's unclear if a move will happen but there at least is a chance. 

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