Alex Mayes

Trevor Story is hosting his informal “Story Camp” this week, and some familiar faces have joined the shortstop in Texas. Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Connor Wong, Jarren Duran, Triston Casas, and Mikey Romero appear in all of the social media posts surrounding the event. When the first Story Camp was announced a few seasons ago, it seemed like a way for the veteran shortstop to connect with and mentor younger players while he was rehabbing from injury. Now though, it seems to be transforming into something different. With Duran, Wong, and Casas all being present. it showcases them putting in the extra work to improve on down or lost seasons in 2025. It also gives them more opportunities to work with members of the young core in Anthony and Mayer. Romero is penciled in to be the starting shortstop for the WooSox this season and working with Story can only help him improve at the position. Should Story go down with an injury, it’s likely Romero will be one of the first names called up to the big-league roster. Story Camp is a way for Trevor Story to further mentor the up-and-coming talent in the system. We can all hope that this extra time together will translate to positive results on the field in 2026. View full rumor

The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey has verified that the Boston Red Sox have a contract offer on the table for Alex Bregman. She has reached out to the source that spoke to ESPN’s Buster Olney last week and confirmed that the offer is indeed “aggressive”. The full details of the offer are unknown at this point, and aggressive likely means different things to all parties involved. What this does show is that the Red Sox are still actively trying to improve the team and have at least some amount of comfort with handing out multi-year offers to free agents. The ball is in Bregman’s court, though, as the Red Sox are far from the only team currently vying for his services. Speculation all offseason has had him returning to Boston, but it’s far from a sure thing, even with this offer in hand. Bregman is represented by mega-agent Scott Boras, so this offer is likely being used to leverage other teams while attempting to gauge if this is actually the best offer Boston will make. Until we know more, we’re all playing the waiting game together. View full rumor

100% agree about the bullpen. I have Casas starting in Worcester solely because we don't know if he'll even be ready by Opening Day. If he is, you can make the case for him to be on the roster but I think they'd opt for him to get regular playing time with the WooSox over platooning him at first. DHing him would make a lot of sense if Masa and Duran weren't in the picture.

Spring training is still a ways off — just about seven short weeks away — but we thought it was time we take a stab at a roster prediction here at Talk Sox. Boston Red Sox fans are the type of fan that likes to play the ‘what-if’ game and start building next season’s roster as soon as possible. Right now, there are still holes to be filled and a lot of rumors swirling around potential free-agent additions or trade candidates. While there's not telling what will happen in those pursuits, we wanted to take some time and think about what the roster on Opening Day could look like once the offseason dust settles. Starting Rotation (5) Garrett Crochet Sonny Gray Brayan Bello Johan Oviedo Connelly Early The ultimate goal for any franchise is that all of their starting rotation will make 30 starts and be lights out from top to bottom. Realistically, that won’t come to pass for any club. The good news, though, is that the Red Sox have quite a bit of starting depth stashed away at the upper levels of the minor leagues that will allow these five to get extra days off and, in the worst-case scenarios, be replaced due to injury. Obviously, Crochet isn’t going anywhere, and Gray can likely join him on that list unless the team has just completely fallen apart by the trade deadline. Bello took positive steps forward in 2025, but as I wrote previously, he’s the most under-the-radar trade chip the team possess right now, so he could potentially be calling a different city home in the near future. Oviedo comes with a ton of upside, but just as much injury risk. I gave Early the nod over fellow rookie Payton Tolle solely because Early has the secondary stuff that you can trust more earlier in the season, and I think the organization showed more trust in him during the postseason by letting him start game three of the Wild Card round while moving Tolle to the bullpen. Should any of these five come out of the gate slowly, you can expect Tolle to be the next man up along with Kutter Crawford, Kyle Harrison, and Patrick Sandoval. Behind them, there’s still a ton of depth floating around in Worcester, so there’s not a lot of concern about the arms they’ve traded away to bolster the major-league roster. Bullpen (8) Aroldis Chapman Garrett Whitlock Justin Slaten Ryan Watson Greg Weissert Jovani Moran Zack Kelly Jordan Hicks A lot has been made about the team’s need to acquire another starter and there’s a ton of validity to that, but the bullpen clearly needs some help still. Obviously, Chapman is going to close games out after his dominant 2025 and subsequent extension he signed at the end of the season. Whitlock proved just how dangerous he was out of the bullpen again last season. Slaten had his ups and downs, and injuries, but he proved to be a steady arm more often than not. Watson is a big question mark at the moment and has to stick on the 40-man roster or be returned to the A’s, but the Sox have proven with both Whitlock and Slaten that they have an eye for identifying talent who can contribute in big ways through the Rule 5 draft. After that group, though, there are question marks all over the place. Weissert pitched fine in 2025 but ran out of gas by the All-Star break. Kelly showed flashes of potential but hasn’t proven that he can be fully trusted yet. Moran is the only other lefty in the pen besides Chapman at the moment and doesn’t bring the strongest track record with him, Hicks is well… Hicks. Sure, he can hit triple digits, but your guess is as good as his as to where it’s going to actually go once it leaves his hand. There’s still work to be done in the bullpen, and guys like Crawford and Sandoval above could be utilized here if need be. Catchers (2) Carlos Narvaez Connor Wong As currently constructed, the Red Sox should return both catchers from last year. Narvaez has a firm grip on the starting job and likely won’t let it go unless something catastrophic happens. He’s young, talented, and exactly what the team needs behind the dish on a near-daily basis. Wong, on the other hand, has a ton to prove as a backup in 2026. His 2025 season was abysmal and he offered very little of value either behind the dish or with a bat in his hands. The team could stand to upgrade at backup catcher, but Wong’s value is the lowest it can be and there’s not much out there that would prove to be much better in a backup role. The team could shock everyone and bring in someone like JT Realmuto, but that’s likely not going to happen. Infielders (6) Willson Contreras (1B) Bo Bichette (2B) Marcelo Mayer (3B) Trevor Story (SS) Romy Gonzalez (INF) Nate Eaton (INF/OF) I’ve been stumping for the team to sign Bichette for a while now, so on this projection, I’m pretending they did. I’m not going to predict his contract or anything like that, but bringing him on means the team has moved on from Alex Bregman and trusts Mayer to man the hot corner until he can take over at shortstop after Story leaves in free agency in a couple of years. Contreras will see the lion’s share of time at first base to begin the season, but that conversation could get interesting if Triston Casas is tearing the cover off the ball with Worcester early on. Story remains the starting shortstop until his contract in Boston is over, or until he gets hurt again — whichever comes first. Obviously, super-infield utility man and lefty masher Gonzalez stays on the bench to get into games when his knack for getting on base is needed, or just to spell Contreras at first from time to time. I struggled with the last bench spot between Eaton and Nick Sogard but opted for Eaton since he plays more positions and likely will be the platoon partner for Wilyer Abreu in the outfield when necessary. Outfielders (5) Roman Anthony (LF) Ceddanne Rafaela (CF) Wilyer Abreu (RF) Jarren Duran (DH/LF/CF) Masataka Yoshida (DH) This was by far the hardest group to determine, solely because there’s still such a logjam in the outfield right now. As long as either Duran or Yoshida is on the roster, there’s no perfect answer for the outfield. Anthony is obviously going to be a day one starter with Rafaela, but then what does the team do with Duran? Abreu is a two-time Gold Glove winner in right field while in a platoon role. Alex Cora and Craig Breslow have both given him a huge vote of confidence to play more against left-handed pitchers, so he’s also locked into his position. Rafaela is a Gold Glove center fielder who should never move off that spot until he’s ready to retire, and Anthony is a superstar in the making right now. Yoshida is a DH-only at his point, and he’s not great there either unless you want a slap-hitting DH. Duran isn’t good enough against left-handed pitchers to warrant being used as a DH on a regular basis. There’s just such a logjam here that it’s hard to figure out exactly what the plan is. Ideally, someone will be moved in a trade for a number two starter, but that’s just a step too far for me to predict out right now. Is it the correct path forward? Probably, but I’m just not confident that’s going to happen right now. There’s still a ton of offseason left, and I fully expect the Red Sox to make at least one more major addition to the roster. How they navigate the bullpen additions and the outfield logjam is going to be something watch as we get closer to the start of spring training. Some national writers think the team has a big trade and a big free-agent signing left in them. If that’s true, this roster could look drastically different at any moment. View full article

In their latest offseason heist, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year contract. Frustrating though it may be to see a division rival continue to scoop up premier talents, this move likely takes them out of the Alex Bregman sweepstakes since Okamoto should slot into their starting third base role. The Jays have money to spend and are hungry to return to the World Series, so you can’t count them out on any free agent. However, with their eye on Kyle Tucker and Okamoto now signed, it seems that the Jays are preparing to move on from Bo Bichette in free agency. If that’s the case, the Red Sox have a choice to make between the two star infielders. Is it really even a choice, though? Technically, Bichette is a shortstop but he has told interested teams that he’s willing to change positions for the right situation. He would move to second if signed by the Red Sox, allowing Trevor Story to continue to man shortstop for the next two seasons while shifting Marcelo Mayer to third base. Mayer handled the hot corner well in a small sample size after he was called up when Bregman went down with a significant quad injury. He handeld 39 games at third, 28 of those as starts, and only committed one throwing error. An infield of Mayer, Story, Bichette, and Willson Contreras would be formidable on both sides of the ball. Moving Bichette to second would help him overcome his defensive woes at shortstop. In 2025, he posted a -13 Outs Above Average and was in the 36th percentile in arm strength. He committed 12 errors at short, six throwing and six fielding. Moving him to second would put him on the opposite side of double plays and closer to first base. Both things should help cut down on his total errors. His range leaves something to be desired, but moving him from shortstop to second base at least removes some of the onus on him to captain the infield defense. Perhaps less responsibilities would prove a boon for his glove. What he really brings to the table though, is an offensive player tailor-made for the Red Sox. Bichette has led the league in hits twice in his career. He’s not your typical slugger, but he gets on base at an incredible clip; his .357 OBP was good for tenth in the American League last year, and he has the potential to crack the 30-homer mark for the first time in his career if he’s taking aim at the Green Monster for half of the season. He’s not a pure pull hitter, but even a gap-to-gap threat can rack up lots of extra-base hits at Fenway. With someone who gets on base as much as Bichette does, it puts the guys behind him in the lineup in prime positions to drive him in. Bichette can hit anywhere in the first five spots in the order, so not only is he able to put himself in scoring position, he can drive in guys in front of him, too. Offensively, he’s exactly what the Red Sox need. Unlike Bregman, Bo Bichette allows the Red Sox to further embrace the youth movement currently going on in Boston. He adds a much-needed offensive star into the lineup and would be in Beantown for at least the next half-decade on whatever mega-contract he signs. He’s not a perfect player, and his detractors raise some valid points, but his presence would make it easy to dream on the next New England dynasty. View full article

Right after Christmas, MLB Trade Rumors reported that Brayan Bello is receiving trade interest from other teams around the league. They went on to report that the Red Sox have “quietly shopped” the young right-hander throughout the offseason, although the source that shared the information pushed back on that report. While it may seem odd that the team would be either shopping or entertaining trades involving Bello at first, it makes some sense when you think about the additions the team has made this offseason. So far, the Red Sox have acquired RHP Sonny Gray, RHP Johan Oviedo, and RHP Ryan Watson. While Watson will figure into the bullpen moving forward, both Gray and Oviedo should be fixtures in the starting rotation. Currently, Gray slots into the number two slot in the rotation, but Oviedo is a pitcher in the same vein as Bello. Having two groundball-dominant, low-strikeout type of pitchers throwing back-to-back in the same rotation isn’t the most ideal situation for any club, but especially one that has question marks at either second or third base as of right now. What makes Bello intriguing for other clubs is his contract. He has four years left of a six-year, $55 million contract with a club option for 2030. He’s young, cost-controlled, and has the ceiling of a poor man's number two starter. Those reasons are why it’s a bit surprising that the Red Sox are willing to entertain trades involving him, but this the point of building up depth. It’s fairly obvious at this point that Craig Breslow has a preferred type of starter that he wants to sign. Breslow seems to prefer tall, heavy, lanky starters with a plus option for a fastball. Bello, standing 6’1” and 195 lbs with a fastball that tops out at 95mph but is the fifth option in his pitch mix, is the opposite of that profile. He's a dependable arm in the rotation, but if the right deal is on the table, he’s not irreplaceable by any means. The other factor that could be prompting the Red Sox to look to trade Bello is that there are other names coming through the system that will need playing time sooner or later. Payton Tolle showed just how high his ceiling can be during his cup of coffee with the big-league club, Connelly Early was given a much longer leash in the Wild Card round than Bello was, and recently-acquired LHP Jake Bennett is the ideal type of pitcher Breslow wants working with pitching coach Andrew Bailey. The Red Sox have traded some of their pitching depth this offseason to acquire Gray and Willson Contreras, but they are still in a position to promote young arms to fill Bello’s vacated spot if he’s dealt. If Bello is moved in a deal, it would have to be in a trade for someone who can solidify one of the option infield spots or in a deal that nets the Red Sox a true number two starter. Would a team like the Royals be interested in Bello in addition to someone like Jarren Duran? Would the Nationals or Marlins? The answers to those questions remain to be seen right now, but it's clear the Red Sox's wheeling and dealing is far from done this offseason. View full article

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Red Sox have made an “aggressive” offer for free agent third baseman Alex Bregman. While there’s little detail as to what this “aggressive” offer is for Bregman, it’s encouraging to see that the Red Sox are still engaged with the free agent. Over the last 48 hours, reports have started circulating that both the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays are “serious” about landing the third baseman, but that the Red Sox were still involved with him. Obviously, until pen is put to paper, there is no deal between the two sides yet, but if the Red Sox are willing to get aggressive with their offer, then it stands to reason Bregman may end up back in Boston for the next few years. Alex Bregman had a successful, but injury-shortened, first year in Boston in 2025. He slashed .273/.360/.462 in 114 games last season while hitting 17 home runs and posting a 125 wRC+ and a 3.5 fWAR. Bringing Alex Bregman back would solidify the left side of the infield again and allow top prospect Marcelo Mayer to begin taking reps at second base, where he would slot into the lineup if Bregman returns. Keeping Bregman in the fold allows a clubhouse leader to stick around and mentor a very young core as they strive to return to the playoffs in 2026. View full rumor

Not by himself, no. He needs to be part of a package that returns one.

It’s been a year of growth here at Talk Sox, and we’re incredibly thankful to everyone who has joined us along the way. Through your clicks, comments, replies, and social media shares, we’ve been able to grow this passion project into a space where people turn to for breaking news, rumors, opinion pieces, and everything in between. As we ring in the New Year, let’s take a look at the top five articles from 2025 on Talk Sox. Note: This ranking is based on pageviews and interactions. #5: Travis Shaw, the Third Baseman that Got Away by Bryce Whitlow In this piece from early September, Bryce expertly analyzed the trade that sent Travis Shaw, and others, to the Brewers for Tyler Thornburg. As Sox fans know, Shaw went on to have a breakout season for the Brew Crew while Thornburg dealt with injury after injury during his time in Boston. In a rare miss for Dave Dombroski, the Red Sox were bested in this deal and still managed to rebound for a title in 2018. #4: Projecting the 2025 Red Sox Opening Day Roster, Version 2.0 by Alex Mayes My second attempt at a 2025 roster prediction, this one came just about a month into spring training when things were coming a bit more into focus. Things changed in Boston fairly quickly once the season got underway. Triston Casas got hurt, Kristian Campbell broke camp with the big-league club, Roman Anthony was a mid-season call up, and Carlos Narvaez took over the starting catcher role. That’s it, right? Oh yeah, and Rafael Devers was traded on Father’s Day after a sweep of the Yankees at home. No big deal. We don’t need to revisit the rotation prediction really — it was mostly wrong after Garrett Crochet. #3: After Acquiring Willson Contreras, the Red Sox Should Pivot Away from Alex Bregman by Alex Mayes This article is the most recent entry on the list. It’s not the hottest take in the world to say that the Red Sox need to buy into the youth movement even more moving forward, but to do so at the expense of Alex Bregman may ruffle some feathers. The Sox acquired Willson Contreras right before Christmas and his bat could fill the Bregman-sized hole in the lineup if given a chance. He’s older, and only under contract for two seasons, but he’s got a swing made for Fenway Park and should see an offensive uptick playing half of his home games in Boston. Moving on from Bregman’s six-year-contract desires to a younger Bo Bichette just makes too much sense at the moment. #2: Projecting the 2025 Red Sox Opening Day Roster, Version 1.0 by Alex Mayes In a roster projection from early January, I somehow left the newest member of the Seattle Mariners (Rob Refsnyder) off the roster and heard about it in the comments. I gave that spot to Vaughn Grissom and we can all laugh together now at just how ridiculous that was. It’s fun to make predictions that far out from spring training, and I’m sure I’ll do it again in just a few days, but it’s also interesting to look back on and see just how much things changed in the span of a year. #1: Boston Red Sox Announce 2025 Promotional Schedule & Giveaways by Adam Morgan Coming in at the top spot, Adam Morgan gave us a look into what to expect when we walk through the gates of Fenway Park. The Sox were kind of stingy with their giveaways last season, especially for us bobble head enthusiasts, but at least they were doing something. Maybe they’ll see this and up their promotional game as we head into 2026. If anyone has that Ceddanne Rafaela bobble head or the Section 10 jersey they want to part with, tag me in the comments. These five articles may have been the top performers of the year but they are just a small sample of the excellent work the entire staff did in 2025. Once again, thanks to every single member of Talk Sox for making this year a great one, and we look forward to continuing to grow as we head into 2026! View full article

The Boston Red Sox have placed a high price tag on outfielder Jarren Duran. They are reportedly looking for a top of the rotation starter in exchange for the 2024 All-Star Game MVP. It's fine to place a premium value on a premium player, but the rest of the league isn’t valuing Duran nearly as high as the Red Sox are, at least not yet. As the offseason drags on, more teams could come calling about Duran as they miss out on their primary free agent targets. That should drive the return package up, but perhaps not to the level the Sox are seeking. For a player who was a legitimate MVP candidate just 12 months ago, why is that the case? First, there was regression from his stellar 2024 campaign. In '24, Duran slashed .285/.342/.492 with 75 RBIs, 21 home runs, 34 stolen bases, an .834 OPS, 6.8 fWAR, and a 131 wRC+. Almost everything dropped in '25 though—Duran slashed .256/.332/.442 with 84 RBIs, 16 home runs, 24 stolen bases, a .774 OPS, a 3.9 fWAR, and a 111 wRC+. By all accounts, he had a really good season, but the drop in performance was noticeable to anyone paying attention. Manager Alex Cora ended up dropping Duran in the lineup late in the season in hopes that would help him right the ship, and it seemed to work. He was getting on base more and driving more runs in, but it may have been too little too late. In addition to the overall statistical decline, his plate approach was less than stellar. He swung at more pitches outside the zone than he ever has in his career, 31.6%, while swinging at fewer pitches inside the zone, 62.5%. His overall contact percentage was the lowest it has been since his rookie year at 73.8%. Once again, not awful numbers by any means, but it’s safe to wonder if this is the start of a downward trend as he nears the age of 30. Next, Duran’s defense in 2025 was abysmal. He started in left field for the bulk of the season but logged 28 games in center and two games in right. He doesn’t have the arm to play right field at Fenway Park, and likely wouldn’t be able to man it on a regular basis for many other teams either. In center, he takes suboptimal paths to the ball and is able to make up for it due to his speed, but that speed won’t be there for his whole career. In left, his best-fitting position, Duran made five fielding errors and one throwing error. He looked beaten by balls he should have been able to easily track down and made easily avoidable mistakes with those errors. In the Wild Card round, you can point to his error in the outfield as the turning point in the whole series. Defensive Runs Saved loved him (+11) this year, but Outs Above Average (-4) felt the opposite. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Finally, and unfortunately, there are off the field concerns with Duran that could be keeping some teams away. His use of a homophobic slur in 2024 and subsequent suspension are definite detractors, and his verbal altercation with a fan in Cleveland in 2025 could leave a bitter taste in some mouths. His open struggle with his mental health has been, and should continue to be, applauded, but there will be front offices and clubhouse leaders across the league that won’t want that kind of attention brought onto their teams. It’s unfortunate, but this is part of the equation with superstar athletes. At the end of the day, the Red Sox have every right to hold firm to a high asking price for Duran. He’s a leader in the clubhouse and is just one year removed from an MVP-caliber season. Holding onto him and trying to make a four-outfielder rotation work could be in the cards if they don't find someone willing to meet their price. However, something will have to give eventually. Hopefully the Red Sox can find their frontline starter before then. View full article

In a pre-Christmas gift to Boston Red Sox fans everywhere, Craig Breslow made a trade to bring All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras to Massachusetts in exchange for RHP Hunter Dobbins, RHP Yhoiker Fajardo, and RHP Blake Aita. I wrote about how Contreras would be an excellent trade addition during the Winter Meetings, and now first base has been solidified for the next two seasons. And yet, the team's work on the infield isn't done — there’s still a hole at the hot corner. While talks are still ongoing with Alex Bregman in free agency, there are other teams in the mix for him. Coming back to Boston makes a lot of sense for both sides. When healthy, Bregman thrived playing at Fenway Park and his veteran leadership helped young players like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer ease their way into the big leagues. Bringing in Contreras, another veteran and hitter that brings a swing perfect for Fenway, should help in the negotiations with Bregman, but not in the typical way. Having Contreras on the roster zaps quite a bit of the negotiating power that Bregman’s larger-than-life agent, Scott Boras, has in the ongoing talks. Before Contreras, the Red Sox needed Bregman’s bat. Now, though? They still need him, but not in a "our season hinges on this guy" kind of way. While it’s obvious that the Red Sox should add another bat in addition to Contreras, it no longer has to be Bregman's stick. Wouldn’t it make more sense for the Red Sox to pivot to someone younger like Bo Bichette, especially considering he’s younger and is currently projected to make a similar amount of money on the open market? He’s also informed teams that he’s willing to move off of shortstop, a position he desperately needs to abandon. Moving Bichette to second base helps to solve the infield puzzle and guarantees Gold Glove center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela stays where he is needed most. Bichette fits the timeline of the Red Sox. He’s 28 and would absolutely rake at Fenway. He's a spray hitter with power to all fields who currently plays in a (relatively) pitcher-friendly stadium in Toronto. Even if his power doesn't push past 25 home runs he's led the league in total hits twice. The Red Sox need a guy who is comfortable putting the ball in play and driving in runs, while also putting himself in a position to score. Moving him to second base would allow for Trevor Story to continue playing shortstop and would slide Marcelo Mayer into the starting third base role. Trusting Mayer to stay healthy for a full season is risky, but he’s a top prospect for a reason. With multiple reps at third, he should get his feet under him faster than most. Should that not pan out, the Red Sox still have four outfielders with only three outfield spots to fill. Trading one of them for a third baseman could be an option down the line. The organization may see Mayer as the heir apparent at shortstop, but he has already proven that he can handle the hot corner, albeit in a small sample. The Red Sox fixed the revolving door at first base with the trade for Willson Contreras. Pivoting away from Alex Bregman to Bo Bichette would fix the gaping hole that has been second base since Dustin Pedroia retired. If the Red Sox are serious about competing in the long term, buying into the youth movement instead of giving six years to an aging veteran is the way to go. View full article

Maddie and Alex talk about the uneventful Winter Meetings and why the market for the three top Japanese players (Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, Tatsuya Imai) has been so quiet to this point. They give their takes on whether Alex Bregman is really looking at the Diamondbacks as an option, and end the episode by talking through pitcher trade proposals. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox View full article

Free-agent starter Michael King seems to have narrowed down his preferred teams to three AL East options. The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham has noted that King may have limited his finalists to the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo has gone a step further and said that King has a ‘strong interest’ in being in Boston since he went to Boston College and is from Rhode Island. King wanting to come back for at least part of the back-half of his career makes sense — he’d be playing somewhere he’s incredibly comfortable. On the surface, King may not look like a perfect fit for the Red Sox since they have traded for both Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo in recent weeks, but we all know that Craig Breslow always keeps an eye on the pitching market and strives to build a deep pool of pitchers to pull from. Signing King won’t be cheap; ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel predicts the starter will land a three-year, $57 million contract. DiamondCentric, meanwhile, foresees a very similar four-year, $75 million deal. Those are both around $19 million annually and would push the Red Sox up against the CBT tax threshold. We don’t have to go back very far to start to see why King’s injury history could complicate things if he signs with the Red Sox. In 2025 along, he missed 89 games due to inflammation in his right shoulder and left knee. Before that, he missed 57 games with a finger injury in 2021 and 77 combined regular season and playoff games in 2022 due to an elbow fracture that required surgery to repair. You could reasonably say he is constantly flirting with the ‘injury-prone’ tag that every player hopes to avoid. Elbow fractures are freak injuries, but the rest of them are concerning for a pitcher that you’re hoping can take the ball every five days and be successful. On top of his injury history, King isn’t the style of pitcher that Breslow seems to like. He’s not a mountain of a human being and he doesn’t have a ton of extension in his delivery, ranking in the 14th percentile on Baseball Savant. On top of that, he’s a sinker-ball pitcher that doesn’t induce many ground balls. In 2025, he left his sinker up far more than he should have, and it was easier for opposing hitters to knock it around. Admittedly, we’re working with a fairly small sample size, but it should be enough to give Breslow pause for concern. For a guy whose primary fastball is a sinker, a 34th-percentile ground-ball rate is not a figure worth investing into. If King is healthy, and that’s a big if, he has the potential to be a legitimate frontline starter for the Red Sox. That being said, though, he’s arguably not worth the injury risk that comes attached to him. If he were willing to take a one-year, prove-it contract, then interest should be abundant. Insofar as that's unreasonable to ask and he’s wanting multiple years and around $19 million annually, that money would be better spent invested on the offensive side of the ball. The Red Sox have a ton of pitching depth, with top names primed to build on their 2025 seasons. King would offer another veteran presence in a young clubhouse, but he shouldn’t come at the expense of neglecting the most pressing need at the moment: power bats. If King remains a free agent until close to the start of spring training, then the Red Sox should swoop in and try to get him for a bit of hometown discount. If that doesn’t happen, there’s no reason to overextend themselves for a starter that may not leap Gray on the depth chart. View full article