SUMMARY
- The aftermath of the 2023 baseball season saw a surge in popularity for the sport, attributed in part to the success of the World Baseball Classic.
- The Boston Red Sox experienced an eventful offseason marked by a bustling free-agent market and strategic roster revamps.
Last year in baseball was a phenomenal one. Worldwide fans of the ballgame, came together to watch the World Baseball Classic and the stunning plays from every team, with the final showdown between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout becoming the most-watched game of the tournament.
Similar to the live ball era which was brought about by Babe Ruth during his time with the New York Yankees, the ballgame this time around is witnessing a similar resurgence. So it’s safe to say that as a result, the number of baseball fans has increased dramatically.
The aftermath of the 2023 season ushered in an eventful offseason, marked by a bustling free-agent market and teams executing strategic roster revamps. Notably, one franchise underwent a change in ownership – Boston Red Sox. With fresh leadership and Chairman Tom Werner’s bold promise to operate at “full throttle”. However, as January draws to a close, the team has been unable to acquire their desired athletes or bring in a strong hand for their mound dominance.
Who can the Boston Red Sox bring to bolster their pitching rotation?
The Red Sox haven’t stayed silent in the offseason, making some smaller moves to enhance their overall roster. These include trading outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees for right-hander Greg Weissert and Minor League righties Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice. Additionally, they acquired a potent right-handed bat in outfielder Tyler O’Neill through a trade with St. Louis and secured further bullpen depth by signing righty Cooper Criswell to a one-year deal. However, the much-anticipated major move that Red Sox fans were hoping for is still pending.
YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO AND SHOHEI OHTANI WILL BE MAKING A COMBINED $1 BILLION+ 💰 pic.twitter.com/LCHcxWsE0U
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 22, 2023
As the offseason countdown continues with only a few weeks left, the Red Sox find themselves in a race against time. Major pitchers like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have already made their moves, having joined the Los Angeles Dodgers. The question now is, who can the Red Sox bring to bolster their pitching rotation in this critical period?
As the Red Sox delved into the offseason, their checklist of needs prominently featured starting pitching. A plethora of pitchers remains available, presenting diverse options for the team to consider.
Many free agent pitchers this season according to MLB Trade Rumors are Rich Hill, Jakob Junis, Brad Keller, Corey Kluber, Clayton Kershaw, Eric Lauer, Michael Lorenzen, Jordan Montgomery, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Blake Snell, Noah Syndergaard, Julio Teheran, Spencer Turnbull, Julio Urias, Vince Velasquez, Alex Wood, Zach Davies, Domingo German, and Zack Greinke.
While early rumors linked the Red Sox to free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, recent reports indicate the team has secured Lucas Giolito with a two-year deal. Additionally, right-handed, Marcus Stroman and Michael Lorenzen are emerging as potential targets for the team.