Although offense is going to be the name of the game for the front office this offseason after Chad Tracy's lineup collapsed down the stretch, the Boston Red Sox can't simply rest on their laurels when it comes to the pitching staff.
Yes, a group built around breakout star Payton Tolle, 2025 Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet, nine-figure signing Ranger Suarez, rookie sensation Jake Bennett, and starter-turned-reliever-turned-starter Brayan Bello is, on paper, fantastic. The depth behind them, including Tanner Houck, Johan Oviedo, Kutter Crawford, and a smattering of high-minors prospects, is also quite impressive.
But it's impossible to ignore how lefty-heavy that group is, especially if Sonny Gray leaves in free agency after a rocky ending to his 2026 campaign in Boston. If nothing else, the Red Sox would certainly benefit from adding a little bit more balance to their starting five.
Thus, although the upcoming free-agent class doesn't inspire a ton of confidence, there are a pair of soon-to-be-former San DiegoPadres teammates who should draw the attention of Craig Breslow and company: Michael King and Casey Mize.
Michael King, Casey Mize should be high atop Red Sox's offseason wish list
Although both pitchers had strong final numbers in 2026, the way their respective seasons finished could not have been more different.
On one hand there was King, who emerged as the Padres' indisputable ace ahead of the playoffs. Then, in October, he allowed just one run in 14 innings while shutting down two of the most potent lineups in baseball (Cubs and Brewers). He even made a heroic relief appearance in Game 3 of the NLDS mere days after starting in Game 2 to keep the Friars' season alive for one more day.
Then there was Mize, whom the Padres acquired at the trade deadline in a blockbuster deal that forced them to surrender top pitching prospect Kash Mayfield. Unfortunately, he completely lost the plot in San Diego, imploding to the tune of a 7.46 ERA and 7.18 FIP over 10 starts. An ankle sprain landed him on the injured list before the postseason, but odds are he wouldn't have made the team's roster anyway.
The Red Sox will love to see that neither pitcher is eligible for a qualifying offer, which removes some baggage from their respective trips to free agency (assuming King opts out of his contract). Still, it's a question of whether they'd want to invest big money in a proven frontline starter — King finished the season with a 3.21 ERA over 185 innings — or buy low on a former All-Star trying to rehab his value after a disastrous change of scenery.
One would think that Breslow will favor King after aggressively pursuing him in free agency a year ago, but adding either starter would immediately establish the Red Sox's rotation as the one to beat in the American League, especially if they were to get the Tigers version of Mize (2.70 ERA, 2.58 FIP).
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