The Boston Red Sox surely are looking for pitching help and there are some very good options available in free agency for the taking.
Boston likely will need to act quickly as it isn't the only player shopping at the high end of the free-agent starting pitching market. There are a handful of options that could fit what the Red Sox need and CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson predicted Boston will end up signing former Los Angeles Dodgers star Jack Flaherty.
"Flaherty's market might be dictated by the downstream effects of where (Corbin Burnes) and (Max Fried) sign," Anderson said. "As such, we're tentatively penciling in the Red Sox doubling up on top-10 free agents by pairing (Alex Bregman) and Flaherty."
It wouldn't be shocking to see Flaherty sign elsewhere than the Dodgers. He won a World Series with Los Angeles after being traded at the deadline by the Detroit Tigers, But, the Dodgers already splurged in the starting pitcher market and signed two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year deal worth $182 million.
The Dodgers can't truly be ruled out for anyone, but there are only so many spots in the rotation to go around so it wouldn't be surprising to see another team sign Flaherty. He's projected to land a three-year, $63 million deal by Spotrac but pitching contracts have been absurd this offseason so it could end up being higher.
Boston has been tied to Flaherty in the past. Could this prediction actually come to fruition?
