Four Starters Red Sox Could Target After Reported Max Fried-Yankees Deal

Two days into the MLB Winter Meetings the Boston Red Sox have still not added a frontline starting pitcher.

The Red Sox saw one ace they were heavily connected to this offseason go elsewhere Tuesday as Max Fried ended up signing the largest contract ever for a left-handed pitcher with the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox were rumored to be a finalist for Fried, adding to the sting of him going to their archrival. But Boston’s brass still has time before it leaves Dallas on Thursday to reshape the rotation by acquiring a marquee starting pitcher.

Here are four pitchers they could go after now that Fried will be wearing pinstripes:

Corbin Burnes
Burnes is the best arm left on the market and arguably was the top starting pitcher available when free agency started. The Red Sox reportedly are “readying” an offer for the 30-year-old right-hander, but it’s going to take a gigantic one to get it done after Fried received an eight-year, $218 million contract from the Yankees.

Burnes would be worth it, though. The four-time All-Star and 2021 Cy Young Award winner went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and a 1.096 WHIP this past season with the Baltimore Orioles. His strikeouts were down to 181 in 194 1/3 innings, which might cause some pause, but there’s no doubt he’d be a major addition to the Red Sox.

Jack Flaherty
Flaherty revived his career in 2024 after a couple of injury-filled seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. Flaherty performed well with the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, combining to go 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA as well as recording 194 strikeouts in 162 innings.

Flaherty might not be in the same tier as Burnes, Fried and Blake Snell, who already signed with the Dodgers, but he’s capable of spearheading a rotation or at the least being a strong No. 2. The fact he’s on the right side of 30 years old — he turned 29 nearly two months ago — could make him more appealing to the Red Sox

Walker Buehler
A second Tommy John surgery changed the trajectory of Buehler’s career. He looked like he would be a perennial Cy Young Award candidate, but he missed part of the 2022 season, all of the 2023 season, and some of this past campaign. And when he returned, he clearly wasn’t the same as he posted a 1-6 record with a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts with the Dodgers.

The Red Sox took a chance on a pitcher who underwent Tommy John surgery twice before and it worked out for them and Nathan Eovaldi. Perhaps they could do the same with Buehler as Boston reportedly is interested in the 30-year-old right-hander. The Red Sox certainly would hope to get the 2021 version of Buehler, though, when he finished fourth in Cy Young voting by amassing a 16-4 record with a 2.47 ERA and 212 strikeouts in 33 starts.

Garrett Crochet
The Red Sox don’t just have to hit free agency to obtain an ace. There’s the trade market, too. Reports suggest the Red Sox have poked around at a potential deal for Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet. It’s easy to see why the Red Sox like Crochet, who is a younger and, perhaps, better version of Fried.

The 25-year-old lefty was named an All-Star for the first time last season and recorded a 3.58 ERA along with 209 strikeouts in 146 innings. Boston would have to give up something substantial to get Crochet, but it would give the Red Sox a top-tier, cost-controlled starting pitcher. They certainly don’t grow on trees.