Stop us if you've heard this one before: The Boston Red Sox need to add an ace this offseason.
While the rotation wasn't awful in 2024, the lack of a true No. 1 starter was glaring. Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, and Kutter Crawford each stepped up to make 30-plus starts but none were consistent enough to earn the "ace" label. Adding a premier pitcher to anchor the rotation would go a long way toward getting Boston back into playoff contention after a three-year drought. Another year with a pitching staff filled with twos and threes won't cut it.
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There are a handful of ways chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. can acquire an ace this winter. Of course, each will be costly. Either team owner John Henry is going to have to break out his checkbook, or Breslow is going to have to make his first truly bold trade as a front-office leader.
Here are Boston's four paths to landing an ace ahead of the 2025 campaign. . .
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Pay up for one of the top free agents
If Fenway Sports Group finally decides to invest in the roster, the Red Sox will have some intriguing options in free agency.
Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Blake Snell headline the list of starting pitchers on the open market. Jack Flaherty and Sean Manaea are also solid fits, though they aren't the bonafide aces that Burnes, Fried, and Snell are.
Burnes is projected to earn a contract worth roughly $200 million this offseason. Fried and Snell won't be much cheaper. Still, if the Red Sox are serious about bolstering the rotation, it's a price they should be willing to pay. That, or explore a blockbuster deal on the trade market.
Trade Triston Casas
The Casas trade rumors gained some steam toward the end of the 2024 campaign when Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote a column outlining Boston's need for right-handed pop in the lineup. He suggested signing star third baseman Alex Bregman, moving Rafael Devers from third to first base, and trading first baseman Triston Casas for a front-end starter.
It would be bold, but moving Casas indeed is another path to the Red Sox landing an ace if they don't acquire one of the top free-agent arms.
As Rosenthal mentions, the Seattle Mariners seem like a perfect trade partner in such a scenario. They're in the market for sluggers and they have a surplus of starting pitching at their disposal. Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, and George Kirby each would immediately slot in as the clear No. 1 in Boston's rotation.
Trade one of the stud outfielders
Perhaps the most sensible option, if ownership is still reluctant to spend money, is to add an ace by clearing the logjam in the outfield. Jarren Duran, WIlyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela currently fill the three starting outfield spots, but the team has to make room for top prospect Roman Anthony. That makes Duran and Abreu -- both coming off outstanding seasons -- obvious trade chips if an ace is available.
Part ways with top prospects
This one seems like the least likely of Boston's four paths to landing an ace. The front office has made it clear over the last few years that they are not actively looking to trade any of their "Big 3" prospects: Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, or Kyle Teel. That "Big 3" has turned into a "Core 4" with breakout prospect Kristian Campbell coming off arguably the best season of any minor leaguer.
Anthony still seems untouchable at this point and although it would be a surprise, we shouldn't completely rule out a deal involving Mayer, Teel, or Campbell. Mayer has been hampered by injuries over the last two seasons, Teel is talented but not untouchable, and selling high on Campbell could prove to be a shrewd move.
However, given how this organization has prioritized rebuilding its farm system, it wouldn't make much sense to blow it up now with each top prospect on the brink of the majors. Spending big money on a free agent or trading Casas, Duran, or Abreu are the more probable paths to acquiring a No. 1 starter this offseason.
