Free agency prediction has Red Sox aiming for signing they should have made last year

Last offseason, the Boston Red Sox had a clear need in their starting rotation but stubbornly refused to make the necessary moves to upgrade their starting-five.

The front office decided not to pursue the likes of Blake Snell. Instead, it opted to sign Lucas Giolito, Chase Anderson and Cooper Criswell, who posted a solid season. Still, the moves were underwhelming for a rotation that needed a lot of help.

This offseason, the Red Sox need starting pitching again and are in a prime position to right their wrongs from last winter. The impending departure of Nick Pivetta, whose strong market should easily result in a job elsewhere if he declines Boston's qualifying offer, amplifies its need for some new faces in the rotation.

While the 2024-25 MLB offseason is still in its infancy, the hot stove is gradually beginning to heat up and Red Sox fans will be thrilled at some of the early predictions. In an article from Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly, Snell is listed as the third-best free agent on the market and Kelly has him joining the Red Sox on a five-year, $158 million contract.

Bleacher Report's Red Sox offseason prediction would right their wrongs from last winter

Snell, 31, is one of the best available starting pitchers on the open market and would be an incredible fit with the Sox. Even though the 2024 campaign was an injury-shortened one for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, he threw a no-hitter and put together one of the better second-half performances baseball fans have seen in recent memory.

The left-hander's 6.31 ERA through eight starts in the first-half had many believing he was regressing back to his strange numbers in years he doesn't contend for a Cy Young. He promptly followed that up with a 12-start stretch where he allowed a total of 12 runs (11 earned - 1.45 ERA) with just two home runs allowed and a whopping 103 strikeouts in 68.1 innings.

That showing is exactly what's going to make Snell a well-compensated individual this offseason. He's betting on himself by opting out of his contract with the Giants in search of a larger deal elsewhere. A ton of pitching-hungry teams will be eyeing him, but the Red Sox have as good a chance as any to be the ones that come away with him.

In 2024, the Red Sox finished with a 3.81 ERA from their starting pitchers, the seventh-best metric in baseball. Tanner Houck'sa breakout campaign has a lot to do with that success, and he'll return to Boston's rotation next year alongside Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford. Criswell may have done enough last season to earn a spot on the 2025 Opening Day roster, but there could be multiple spots open in Boston's rotation. Snell would look outstanding in one of them.

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