Red Sox Week in Review: Red Sox Meet with Juan Soto, Talking With Blake Snell & Max Fried, Add Lefty Justin Wilson to the Bullpen

Perhaps Craig Breslow watched “The Comeback” on Netflix with Jon Henry, and it reminded them of a time when the Red Sox were in on every big free agent that the Yankees wanted. Whether the Red Sox land the biggest hot stove prize since Alex Rodriguez, all early reporting has the Sox in on every big name in free agency or the trade market. One way or another, it seems that this is the offseason that Craig Breslow has license to go for it and build around the young core. 

Juan Soto Sweepstakes
According to Sean McAdam of MassLive, representatives from the Red Sox met with Juan Soto and his agent, Scott Boras, in Southern California on Thursday. The 3-hour meeting was a chance for the Red Sox to share their vision for the future and showcase how Juan Soto could add to the fabulous legacy of Dominican-born players in Boston. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Soto grew up rooting for the Red Sox when they boasted stars like David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, and Manny Ramirez. All accounts say the meeting was “productive,” but no contract size or length terms were discussed. Soto has meetings scheduled with the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Mets, so everyone will likely have a chance to make their pitch before negotiations begin in earnest. That should give Sox fans plenty of time in the next week to plan what their lineups would look like with Soto’s generational talent added. If the Red Sox do manage to sign Soto, it is not too hard to imagine him going into Cooperstown in 20 years with a Red Sox hat on his plaque. 

Top Pitchers Talking with Sox
Without a doubt, the biggest need that the Sox have this offseason is pitching. It is a safe bet that Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello will take up three of the five spots in the rotation after they all made strides forward in 2024. However, the Red Sox cannot expect to reasonably contend for a division title in 2025, something that Craig Breslow has stated this offseason's goal without adding to the pitching staff. Lucas Giolito and Garrett Whitlock will likely contribute at some point during the season, but with both coming off Tommy John surgery, it is unclear to what level they can pitch to. What the Red Sox need is an ace. While they could pursue options on the trade market, free agency would be the cleanest way to add to the top of the rotation while saving the prospect capital to fill other holes. 

According to Jeff Passan, in addition to the meeting with Juan Soto, the Red Sox have been in conversation with both Blake Snell and Max Fried. Both pitchers would be an immediate upgrade at the top of the rotation and add a much-needed lefty to a current right-handed rotation.

Blake Snell got off to a slow start after winning the Cy Young Award in 2023, battling injuries in the first half, but turned it on in the second half. In 14 starts in the second half, he posted a 2.19 ERA, threw a no-hitter, and posted a 34.7% strikeout rate and 37.7% whiff rate (both 98th percentile). 

Max Fried had another consistent year for the Atlanta Braves, posting a 3.25 ERA over 29 starts. While he doesn’t have overpowering swing and miss in his game (166 strikeouts over 174.1 innings), he consistently limits hard contact. He held hitters to an average exit velocity of 86.3 MPH (95^th percentile) and boasted a 59.2 ground ball percentage (96^th percentile). This combination of a low batting average against (.224 in 2024) and weak contact makes the 30-year-old one of the most attractive options on the starting pitching market, and his ability to pitch effectively without relying on the strikeout should help him as he ages into his next contract. 

Trade Possibilities? Garrett Crochet Tops the List
While the Red Sox are widely viewed throughout the industry as having the prospect capital to trade for just about anyone, they have been repeatedly linked to White Sox starter Garrett Crochet. The ace lefty was in the 98^th percentile in strikeout percentage (209 strikeouts, 146 innings), and while he was on an innings limit in 2024 while transitioning to being a full-time starter, he should be able to push past that in 2025. Crochet has two arbitration seasons left before free agency but may be open to signing an extension with the team he is traded to. 

It would take a large prospect package to get Crochet, but the Red Sox have the prospects to do it. Roman Anthony, Marcello Mayer, Kristian Campbell, and Kyle Teel are all possibilities that would pique the White Sox's interest. From the major league side, a package fronted by Wilyer Abreu, who is coming off a gold glove season in a solid rookie year, would be a good starting point. It remains to be seen who the Red Sox would be willing to part with, but rest assured that if they want Crochet, they should have what it takes to get a deal done. 

Bullpen Reinforcements
The Red Sox did make one signing this week to sure up their bullpen, snagging veteran lefty reliever Justin Wilson on a 1-year deal. The contract is a base salary of $2.25 million with various performance incentives. While Wilson pitched to a high ERA of 5.59, his peripheral stats were much better, as he was in the 95^th percentile of chase rate. The Red Sox desperately needed to add more swing and miss in the bullpen, and Wilson will likely be the top lefty for Alex Cora to go to, at least until other potential moves are made. 

When Chris Cotillo of MassLive asked about the addition at an event on Saturday, Manager Alex Cora was excited about it. 

“He kind of struggled at the end, but early in the season, his stuff was really good,” Cora said. “Obviously, we’ll make some adjustments here and there. He has been doing it for a while. It’s a guy whose name has always popped up throughout the years because of the stuff. The more, the better. That’s the way I see it.”

Wilson will give the Red Sox a second lefty alongside Brennan Bernardino in the bullpen.