Orioles Projected $215M Cy Young Recipient Predicted To Cut Ties To Sign With Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox missed the postseason for a third consecutive season in 2024 and must address their lackluster pitching staff to make next year different.

Unfortunately for Boston, its rotation fell apart in the second half of the season after beginning the year strongly. If it weren’t for the Red Sox’s shaky pitching arsenal, they might’ve been able to qualify for an American League Wild Card spot.

Boston’s front office took a conservative approach to retooling the roster last winter, which failed to produce positive results. It might be time for the Red Sox to take a different approach, which includes pursuing a highly coveted starting pitcher.

“The Red Sox are not a luxury-tax payor right now, which puts them in a relatively favorable position when it comes to signing (Max) Fried,” Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer wrote Tuesday. “And yet, it bears reminding that the organization has been wary of qualifying offer-tied players and doing long free-agent deals in general. It’s therefore easier to imagine the Red Sox opting for (Blake) Snell. And if they are going to go all-in on a player with ties to draft compensation, it might as well be (Corbin) Burnes.

Burnes has logged a 60-36 record with a 3.19 ERA, 1051-to-254 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .212 batting average against and a 1.06 WHIP throughout his seven-year career, during which he played for the Milwaukee Brewers and Orioles.

The 2021 National League Cy Young recipient is the top available starter this offseason. His projected market value is roughly $215 million over a seven-year deal, translating close to $31 million annually, according to Spotrac.

Landing a bonified ace should be a top priority for Boston this winter. They have the capital to do so but it’ll be interesting to see how aggressively Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow pursues the market.

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