The pressure is quickly ratcheting up on the Boston Red Sox ahead of this year's Winter Meetings.
Jul 16, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; American League pitcher Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles (39) pitches in the first inning during the 2024 MLB All-Star game at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
The Red Sox desperately need starting pitching, and one of the top three options is already off the board with Blake Snell joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boston has talked a big game about returning to the premier free-agent sweepstakes this winter, but they've still yet to prove it.
With Snell no longer available, the Red Sox are down to two options in terms of surefire aces on the open market: Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. The former is a Cy Young Award winner and expects a bigger contract; the latter a lefty who has been as consistent as anyone over the past five years.
It won't be easy, but there's belief that the Red Sox can land one of those two.
On a recent Bleacher Report livestream, content creator Tyler Ward predicted that Burnes would sign with the Red Sox, saying he believed that the Red Sox would make a bold statement this winter.
"I think the Red Sox are going to go scorched earth this offseason. They have made it widely known across the industry... that they're not playing around this offseason," Ward said.
"Corbin Burnes, I think, is going to land in the AL East, not with Baltimore, not even with the Yankees, yes, I do have him going to the Boston Red Sox."
Burnes, 30, pitched to a 15-9 record with a 2.92 ERA this season. His strikeouts were down from the previous three years, as he punched out 180 batters in his 194 innings. However, that helped Burnes pitch deeper into games and was considered an intentional move on his part.
It's hard to say anything negative about signing a pitcher who's made four consecutive All-Star teams, but Burnes will have to stay at his current level to justify his contract. Most, if not all projections have him signing for at least $200 million, with Jim Bowden of The Athletic clocking in at a high of $247 million.
Whether it's Burnes or Fried, the Red Sox simply have to push one of these big-name signings across the finish line. They're too close to playoff contention not to improve their one clear deficiency this winter.
