The Boston Red Sox are in a fierce free-agent market as December draws near.
Blake Snell, whom the Red Sox met with earlier this month, was swiftly passed over by the Los Angeles Dodgers. That eliminates one of the best starting pitchers—and a left-hander at that—from action. Given that they had none in their rotation this season, lefties are a known item on the Red Sox’s wish list.
That means it’s all or nothing for the Red Sox. Boston just needs to figure out how to sign one of the two left-handed aces that are still available to pitch for the Red Sox in 2025.
The good news is that one insider thinks they can get their man.
Two-time All-StarGiven that he is the previously stated lefty ace, Atlanta Braves star Max Fried is currently the most sensible target for the Red Sox. In a recent Bleacher Report livestream, Jon Heyman of the New York Post made the prediction that Fried would sign with the Red Sox.
According to Heyman, “I’m going to say Fried for the Red Sox,” “A left-handed starter has been their preference. They could definitely trade for Crochet, and since they haven’t been high enough on many of these guys, perhaps that’s what they’ll do.”
The 30-year-old Fried just finished an All-Star season with 174 1/3 innings pitched at a 3.25 ERA. Since the beginning of 2019, he has thrown 824 innings overall, with a 71-31 record.record with an ERA of 3.06. He’s as reliable as they come when it comes to lefties.
The Red Sox will undoubtedly need to make a significant financial investment in order to acquire Fried. Jim Bowden of The Athletic estimated that he would sign a six-year, $174 million contract; but, given what Snell ultimately agreed to (five years, $182 million), that figure may easily increase.
The days of squeezing pennies are passed. In order to avoid another season of mediocrity, the Red Sox must be prepared to match Fried’s price tag through several rounds of negotiations.