Latest On The Red Sox Pitching Search

In signing Lucas Giolito and (surprisingly) buying and selling Chris Sale, the Purple Sox haven’t carried out quite a bit to improve a rotation that struggled in 2023.  Inside the final week, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow stated that it has “been a problem” to find extra pitching, whereas membership president Sam Kennedy appeared to downplay the concept of an enormous free agent splash by saying that the workforce’s payroll “most likely shall be decrease than it was in 2023.”

Breslow did state that the Sox have been persevering with to take a look at free agent and commerce prospects, and it seems as if the membership hasn’t given up on the concept of nonetheless touchdown a much bigger title.  In accordance with Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (X links), the Purple Sox are “nonetheless involved with the highest remaining free-agent starters.”  Reporter Marino Pepen is extra particular, writing (Spanish language hyperlink) that the membership has been regularly speaking with left-hander Jordan Montgomery.

There is no such thing as a sense {that a} cope with Montgomery or anybody is especially shut, or essentially even a practical possibility.  Abraham questioned whether or not any pursuits of frontline pitching have been “severe or not,” or if the workforce’s explorations could possibly be “simply posing to allow them to declare they tried” within the wake of rising angst in Purple Sox Nation.

MLBTR’s checklist of the offseason’s top 50 free agents nonetheless has 19 unsigned names.  Blake Snell (ranked 4th), Montgomery (sixth), Mike Clevinger (thirtieth), and Michael Lorenzen (thirty fourth) are the one clear-cut beginning pitchers of that 19-player discipline, with Jakob Junis (forty seventh) maybe extra of a swingman candidate although he has quite a lot of beginning expertise up to now.  It’s honest to quote Snell and Montgomery because the true front-of-the-rotation varieties remaining, as touchdown Clevinger, Lorenzen, or Junis may assist Boston’s employees, however maybe not transfer the needle a lot by way of quieting fan discord.

Breslow is of course solely underneath an obligation to make the workforce higher, to not purchase solely marquee expertise.  Nevertheless, the CBO is already dealing with quite a lot of warmth in his first few months on the job given how the Purple Sox are coming off a pair of last-place finishes within the AL East, and since workforce chairman Tom Werner raised expectations along with his now-infamous “full throttle” comments about Boston’s winter plans.

Phrases like “involved with,” or “checking in on,” or “displaying curiosity in” are commonplace throughout sizzling range season, and this lingo can signify something from due diligence texts to an agent or a extra severe push to shut a deal.  It’s common for executives to be in contact with brokers about any variety of out there gamers, often within the type of some contact early within the offseason to ascertain specific curiosity in a goal or two, after which the 2 sides can circle again a number of occasions over the approaching weeks or months as markets develop.

To this finish, it isn’t shocking that the Sox are nonetheless testing the waters on the highest pitchers, since there’s no draw back in such explorations whereas the gamers are nonetheless unsigned.  As Abraham notes, the Purple Sox “could possibly be hoping costs drop and any person like Montgomery is sensible” inside what is likely to be a considerably restricted 2024 price range, but if this example finally ends up being the case for Montgomery or Snell, it’s removed from automated that Boston would essentially be the primary alternative for a pitcher prepared to simply accept a lowered deal.  

Montgomery has been linked to the Purple Sox for over two months now, with some suggestion that Montgomery is the workforce’s choice over Snell.  In contrast to Snell, Montgomery doesn’t come hooked up to qualifying supply compensation, and Montgomery has a steadier and extra sturdy observe report even when Snell’s peaks (i.e. two Cy Younger Award-winning seasons) are larger.

Montgomery and his spouse McKenzie even have a private connection to Boston, as McKenzie is at present on a dermatology residency at a neighborhood hospital.  These household ties have led to speculation that Montgomery may due to this fact be extra open to favoring Boston as a touchdown spot, although that clearly doesn’t imply Montgomery would go away tens of thousands and thousands on the desk to present the Purple Sox any form of low cost.  MLBTR’s Nick Deeds explored Montgomery’s market in a reader poll earlier at this time, and given the variety of identified suitors — the Rangers, Giants, Yankees, and Angels — and attainable thriller groups nonetheless on the periphery, there isn’t any indication that Montgomery and his representatives are but prepared to decrease their calls for.

Solely the Purple Sox (and the gamers’ brokers) know the way practical Boston’s probabilities is likely to be of truly touchdown a notable free agent, so a commerce is likely to be the extra practical route in the direction of including pitching assist.  Trades have been Breslow’s most popular technique of transaction so far in his transient tenure as chief baseball officer, because the Sox have already introduced in Tyler O’Neill and Vaughn Grissom in swaps whereas dealing away Sale, Alex Verdugo, and Luis Urias.  Giolito’s two-year contract and Cooper Criswell’s one-year, $1MM pact are so far the one Main League signings of the Breslow period.