Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt, and Bo Bichette Could Be Options For the Boston Red Sox

[Matthew Lenz]

As the 2025-2026 MLB offseason gets underway, the Boston Red Sox suddenly have a lot of money available to them following the option decisions of Alex Bregman and Lucas Giolito. They also have decisions looming on Jarren Duran and Liam Hendriks, as well as on whether to submit a qualifying offer on Giolito.

On Tuesday, Rob Bradford of WEEI named Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt, and Bo Bichette as potential offseason targets for the Red Sox to fill the team's newly identified needs. 

Regarding Bieber and Bassitt, Bradford says, "Boston was the only place Bieber visited during last offseason when looking for a new team...and the 30-year-old certainly continued to help his stock with his postseason performance. Another potentially cheaper option might be another Toronto [Blue Jays] starter, Chris Bassitt, who manager Alex Cora has long been a fan of." While Bieber ended up signing with the Cleveland Guardians, he eventually became teammates with Bassitt in Toronto after a deadline deal. Both pitchers were key contributors down the stretch and throughout the playoffs.

Though the Red Sox are expected to pursue Bregman, and it's been rumored they're interested in Pete Alonso, Bradford identifies Beckett as another "go-hard-or-go-home" target. Due to injury, Bichette was limited to seven postseason games with a .923 OPS, including a massive three-run home run off of Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series. Across 139 regular-season games, he hit 18 home runs and had a 134 wRC+, cementing himself as one of the game's best shortstops.

Do you think the Red Sox should pursue any of these names? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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[JoeBrady]

I wanted Bieber last year.  I'd have gone $70M/4, and still would.  I have no idea why he accepted the option, unless something is wrong with his arm.

[Behindenemylines]

9 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I wanted Bieber last year.  I'd have gone $70M/4, and still would.  I have no idea why he accepted the option, unless something is wrong with his arm.

Bieber only pitch the last part of the season so he may feel that a full season with a team that just went to the WS he will be able to make more $$$$$ next off season. Sox were the one team talk to last season before resigning with Cleveland.

[moonslav59]

Sounds a lot like the story on Buehler.

[drewski6]

Bassit threw a splitter rarely last year and came from a team Gaussman was on. Hes old but Im interested. Cant be our only add tho.  But he's got some splitter familiarity and pitched alongside the best splitter in the AL (there are better ones in the NL).

If Bassit's medicals look good (his age scares me) , and hes not expensive and he's going to throw the splitter more, im very interested

The four best splittes are Ohtani, Yamamoto, Skenes, and Guassman.  Its hard to throw, but its a tippy top pitch right now.

Correction to ealier post: its skenes who throws 2 splitter variations not ohtani (ohtani may have 2 as well but he has at least one, but its skenes who def throws 2 diff splitters)

[drewski6]

Bailey needs to hire a splitter specialist if he isnt one himself. Its become a cheat code.

[mvp 78]

18 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Bassit threw a splitter rarely last year and came from a team Gaussman was on. Hes old but Im interested. Cant be our only add tho.  But he's got some splitter familiarity and pitched alongside the best splitter in the AL (there are better ones in the NL).
 

He's thrown a splitter the past three years, but it has had a negative run value each year. Bad pitch! 

He has 8 pitches that he throws, but should reduce it to about 5 or 6 IMO. The splitter and slider haven't been good pitches for him the past few years. 

[notin]

13 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He's thrown a splitter the past three years, but it has had a negative run value each year. Bad pitch! 

He has 8 pitches that he throws, but should reduce it to about 5 or 6 IMO. The splitter and slider haven't been good pitches for him the past few years. 

Bassett is depth and back end at this  point in his career.  His splitter and slider are getting worse. His fastball will be next

[moonslav59]

If we go old, I'd look at Merrill Kelly.

Any thoughts on Nick Martinez or Heaney- both 35?

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, notin said:

Bassett is depth and back end at this  point in his career.  His splitter and slider are getting worse. His fastball will be next

Sox need front end guys. Not sure there is a reason to add more back end guys if they believe Dobbins et al will be healthy to start the season. 

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

If we go old, I'd look at Merrill Kelly.

Any thoughts on Nick Martinez or Heaney- both 35?

Didn't Heaney get DFA'd at the end of the year. Don't think the Sox have any interest there. 

[drewski6]

34 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He's thrown a splitter the past three years, but it has had a negative run value each year. Bad pitch! 

He has 8 pitches that he throws, but should reduce it to about 5 or 6 IMO. The splitter and slider haven't been good pitches for him the past few years. 

Then he needs a splitter coach.  Nobody is ditching a splitter right now.  If you arent working on a splitter right now, its like, what are you doing?

All of the best pitchers are throwing splitters more and more.

[drewski6]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Sox need front end guys. Not sure there is a reason to add more back end guys if they believe Dobbins et al will be healthy to start the season. 

thats prob fair

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Then he needs a splitter coach.  Nobody is ditching a splitter right now.  If you arent working on a splitter right now, its like, what are you doing?

All of the best pitchers are throwing splitters more and more.

Who cares? Bassitt is no longer one "of the best pitchers." His ceiling is third starter. If everybody throws a splitter, batters will catch up the same way they did with sweepers. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

20 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Who cares? Bassitt is no longer one "of the best pitchers." His ceiling is third starter. If everybody throws a splitter, batters will catch up the same way they did with sweepers. 

Ya, but longer lumber is easier to swing than underground bats.

[drewski6]

4 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Who cares? Bassitt is no longer one "of the best pitchers." His ceiling is third starter. If everybody throws a splitter, batters will catch up the same way they did with sweepers. 

If a guy can throw a splitter, and is throwing it 5-10% of the time, that dude has the potential to turn into Gaussman

Maybe not Bassitt tho, as hes old and lost a lot of velocity.

But I care if a dude throws a splitter.  I want it.  Skenes, Ohtani, yamamoto, Gaussman