Matthew Lenz

The Red Sox and Juan Soto met on Wednesday in what was described as a "productive" first meeting by Sean McAdam of MassLive. Representing the Red Sox was team president Sam Kennedy, Chief Baseball Operator Craig Breslow, and field manager Alex Cora. The meeting reportedly lasted three hours and served to simply introduce Soto to the team and organization. From McAdam's report, "The Red Sox laid out their plans for the future and highlighted the crop of soon-to-be-arriving top prospects while giving a detailed outline of ownership and Fenway Sports Group." Any potential talk about money and years was not a topic of conversation. McAdam goes on to state that Soto was "impressed" by the Red Sox presentation. The 26-year-old is set to meet with multiple teams including the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Soto is expected to receive a contract north of 10 years and $500 million. How high should the Red Sox go? View full rumor

On the "Foul Territory" podcast, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com was quoted as saying "I was told that the White Sox have interest in [Wilyer] Abreu and would be satisfied with him headlining -- obviously, not being the only guy in the deal." This should be viewed as a positive development for the Red Sox who have a surplus in the outfield, especially with prospects Kristian Campbell and Roman Anthony close to getting a shot on the Big League roster. They also have a need to diversify their heavy left-handed line up and recently been tied to right-handed hitting outfielder Tesoscar Hernandez. Abreu is coming off a Gold Glove rookie season at just 25-years-old while carrying a .781 OPS, hitting 15 runs, and stealing 8 bases. His power-over-contact approach results in quality batted ball data but also causes him to chase, whiff, and strikeout at above average rates. There hasn't been any indication or substantive rumors as to who the additional piece(s) might be to get the deal done, but McAdam would go on to say "They'd have to put in much more than that, including a pretty good prospect to go with him." So what else do you think needs to be added to the deal for the Red Sox to acquire this young Ace? View full rumor

Rob Bradford of WEEI 93.7 is reporting that the Red Sox are one of several teams interested in 35-year-old right-handed starter Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi was previously with the Red Sox from 2018 to 2022 posting a 4.08 ERA / 3.73 FIP and helped the organization win the 2018 World Series. He has spent the previous two seasons with the Texas Rangers where he carried a 3.72 ERA / 3.86 FIP and won a second World Series in 2023. Specifically in 2024, Eovaldi had a 17.8% K-BB rate across 170 2/3 innings pitched, showing an ability to command the strike zone better than most anyone in baseball with chase and walk rates in the 80th percentile or better of all pitchers. One thing that has seemingly changed since his time in Boston is the effectiveness of his 95 mile-per-hour four-seam fastball that saw batters hit just .212 against the offering and had a run value of +7. This can at least be partly attributed to his four seamer having more glove side movement than it did with the Red Sox. The organization have made their intentions extremely clear in both words and actions. Craig Breslow has stated he is looking to build a team that can make a deep postseason run in 2025 and has now been tied to starting pitchers Max Fried, Garrett Crochet, and now Nathan Eovaldi, as well as outfield bats Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernandez. Now it's just a matter of who the purse most heavily and whether or not they can close the deal. Would you be interested in an Eovaldi reunion? If so, at what cost? View full rumor

In his latest offseason update, Jeff Passan of ESPN states that Nick Pivetta "almost certainly won't accept the qualifying offer to return to Boston; at least a three-year deal awaits Pivetta in free agency." He goes on to specifically name the Cubs, Orioles, and Braves as teams who believe "his stuff plays like a frontline starter". It was a somewhat unexpected move for the Red Sox to make a qualifying offer on Pivetta, but it will pay off in the form of a compensation pick in the 2025 MLB Draft depending on the deal he receives in free agency. Over his eight year big league career, Pivetta has been one of the more solid and reliable starters in Major League Baseball averaging nearly 130 innings per season with a 4.36 FIP and a 17.4% K-BB rate. In 2024 he bested those careers marks with a 4.07 FIP and a 22.9% K-BB rate. Arguably his biggest red flag is his penchant to give up home runs as an extreme fly ballpitcher, something teams will definitely need to consider if they intend to sign the 32-year-old right hander. What's more surprising to you: Pivetta receiving a qualifying offer or possibly rejecting it? View full rumor

In his most recent off-season update, Jeff Passan of ESPN ($$) confimed that "Juan Soto is at the top of the Red Sox want list" and stated the two sides are meeting this week. Many people who cover Major League Baseball expect the 26-year-old Soto will fetch more than $600 million on the free agent market. While the Red Sox do have large contracts on their payroll in Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida, and Trevor Story, their projected 2025 payroll is about one hundred million less than the levels they were at in the 2010's and their Chief Baseball Operator, Craig Breslow, has committed to "delivering a team that's capable of winning the AL East and making a deep playoff run." There's not a lot more that can be said about Juan Soto who is the most coveted free agent, maybe ever. He debuted in 2018 at 19-years-old finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting, and followed that up with a season that garnered him MVP votes and a World Series title. After four-plus seasons with the Nationals and multiple MVP worthy campaigns, he was dealt to the Padres before eventually making his way to the Bronx. In 2024, he posted a .989 OPS with 41 home runs, seven stolen bases, and maybe most impressively a 119:129 K:BB ratio. It's inarguable that Soto would be a massive upgrade for the Red Sox, but how much are you willing to fork over for the young superstar? Update: here is more information related to Soto and the Red Sox. View full rumor

The Red Sox have been linked to yet another free agent starting pitcher. Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Red Sox have shown interest in former Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried. The left-hander will be entering his age 31 season after eight seasons with the Braves where he posted a 3.07 ERA / 3.29 FIP and 15.3% K-BB rate across 151 career starts. Fried is an extreme ground ball pitcher with an incredibly deep pitch mix. He features four plus pitches including a mid-90s four seam fastball, a curveball, a sinker, and a change up. He also has an effective sweeper and cutter. In their annual top 50 free agents predictions, MLBTR suggests that Fried could get a six year pact worth $156 million. Would you like to see the Red Sox nab this lefty off the market? View full rumor

Recently, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Red Sox are showing interest in corner outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Coming off one of the best seasons of his career, Hernández bounced back from a down season in 2023 with an .840 OPS, 33 HR, and 12 stolen bases. Although he struggled in the postseason, many Dodgers players attribute him to being the reason they were in the World Series and, in an interview with Morosi, Bob Nightengale stated that he would be surprised if the Dodgers let him walk. The duo also reported that the Baltimore Orioles are showing interest in the former Blue Jay who will be entering his age 32 season in 2025. While Hernández did spend time in both corner outfield spots his glove grades far better in right field than it does in left, according the FanGraphs UZR/150 metric. To go along with his power bat, he also showcases a power arm with arm strength in the 70th percentile of all outfielders in 2024. If there's one wart the righty has, it's that his aggressiveness at the plate leads to a high amount of strikeouts and a low number of walks, but it pays off in the long run with his power. Would you like to see Teoscar Hernández in a Red Sox uniform? View full rumor

The Red Sox Chief Baseball Operator missed an opportunity to "raise the roof", but he was recently quoted as saying "We know we need to raise the ceiling of the rotation." Buster Olney already linked them to Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, but even if that doesn't pan out the free agent class has plenty of top tier options to frontline the Red Sox starting rotation. The cream of the crop includes Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell with hurlers like Max Fried and Jack Flaherty a small tier below those names. They could also look to deepen their rotation by adding one or more of Nathan Eovaldi, Yusei Kikuchi, and Sean Manaea, all of which arguably be upgrades over their current number one Tanner Houck. Even without a true "Ace", the 2024 Red Sox starting rotation produced in the top third of baseball. Adding any of the starters would only improve their rotation and better prepare them for some fun in October 2025. The only question that remains is which starter(s) should they aggressively pursue? View full rumor

On a recent Baseball Tonight podcast, Buster Olney said "I think it’s a slam dunk he’s going to be traded, and the two teams I’m watching are the Mets and the Red Sox.” This would be a great get for a Red Sox team that needs an "Ace" to lead their already solid rotation. While the cost will require a massive amount of prospect capital, Olney further stated that “teams that are trying to acquire Crochet know that he will sign an extension" so this would be more than just a two-year "rental". The 25-year-old southpaw became a full-time starter in 2024 after three seasons in a relief role and posted a 3.58 ERA / 2.69 FIP and an elite 29.6% K-BB rate across 146 innings. His 97 mile-per-hour fastball was one of the most effective pitches in baseball holding opponents to a .198 batting average and producing a run value of 15. He also has a cutter, sweeper, and changeup. Yes, the price will be immense but acquiring an elite 25-year-old, controllable starter is hard to pass up. View full rumor

The Rangers are reportedly looking to get under the $241MM luxury tax threshold, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. MLBTR goes on to suggest that arbitration eligible players such as RHP Dane Dunning, OF Leody Taveras, and 1B Nathaniel Lowe as possible non-tender candidates. This was not suggested, but one route is to tender these players and then try to trade them to recoup some value. As the Minnesota Twins learned last season with Kyle Farmer, that can be a risky route to take. Other big contracts include Jacob DeGrom and Jon Gray although, considering they already have a need for starting pitching, they may not be overly willing to move those players. Looking at the arbitration players, the Red Sox could use any of the three players listed for some added flexibility and depth on their active roster or in their pitching staff. Nathaniel Lowe and Leody Taveras grade out as slightly above average defenders with decent bats, while Dane Dunning has experience as a starter and reliever with moderate success in both roles. Given Ray Davis' "number 1 priority" to get under the luxury tax threshold, any of these players could likely be had for a fairly cheap price in addition to their team friendly standing as arbitration eligible players. Adolis Garcia is another name they could pursue as a buy-low candidate, although the Texas Rangers may be more inclined to keep outfielder who made headlines during their 2023 World Series run. Should the Red Sox pursue any of the Texas Rangers? View full rumor

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe recently reported that the Red Sox will be aggressive this offseason, quoting Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy as saying “It’s time to take that next step. It really is time. In their reporting, MLBTR cautiously reminds fans of chairman Tom Werner’s “full throttle” comments ahead of last offseason. The Red Sox enter the offseason with promising depth in the farm system, but have holes to fill in their pitching staff as Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and Nick Pivetta are set to be free agents. From a starters perspective, this free agent class is headlined by the likes of Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell with other attractive options including Jack Flaherty and Max Fried. The reliever class lacks an elite name like Burnes or Snell, but does include star power with Aroldis Chapman headlining the group followed by a solid group of high leverage arms in Jeff Hoffman and AJ Minter, among others. What names and positions would you like to see the Red Sox pursue this offseason? View full rumor