Red Sox
Add one other starting pitcher to the long list of weapons the Red Sox are said to be taken with acquiring this offseason.
According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, right-hander Dylan Cease is reportedly on Boston's radar. Morosi noted that the Red Sox could particularly look to pursue the 28-year-old (Cease turns 29 later this month) in the event that they are unable to sign fellow starter Corbin Burnes in free agency.
You already missed Max Fried, who Morosi featured alongside Burnes in his post
Cease began 33 games (tied for the MLB lead) for the San Diego Padres in 2024 and had a 3.47 ERA during that span. He finished the season with a 14-11 record, 224 strikeouts and a career-high 1.07 WHIP – and finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting.
Additionally, Cease threw 189 ⅓ innings – six more innings than Boston's top starter in that category (Cutter Crawford, 183 ⅔). That number was enough for probably the most innings pitched in his six-year MLB profession.
Cease's impressive season with the Padres began after a trade from the Chicago White Sox in March of this yr, just before the beginning of the regular season. Despite playing for a minor White Sox team, Cease made a reputation for himself as considered one of the league's best starters. This helped him turn into a competitor in San Diego.
Why would the Padres put an arm like Cease in the marketplace? The club is He is reportedly attempting to cut payroll as they hope to remain under the league's luxury tax.
With one yr of team control remaining, Cease is in for an enormous payday soon. He is scheduled to turn into a free agent after 2025.
By then, the Red Sox would should trade players for a yr of receiver talent. Boston actually has the potential in each the most important and minor leagues to finish a deal for Cease or any player.
But is it value giving up several young players and/or MLB players for only one freeze season? If Boston fails to sign Burnes, considered one of the highest starters they reportedly had all winter, the organization may haven’t any other alternative. That is, if it actually wants to enhance its rotation and compete for the AL East.
Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow said Throughout the offseason, the team might want to add starting pitching, whether via free agency or the trade market. The free agent class is getting thinner and the opposite teams around them are recuperating every single day. The Red Sox may finally be forced to sell members of their farm system in the event that they want to satisfy their many guarantees to fans this winter.
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