3 free agents the Red Sox will regret not signing once 2024 season starts
The Red Sox missed out on the opportunity to add some great talent to their roster for 2024.
The 2023 season certainly did not go how Red Sox fans hoped that it would. Boston ended their season below .500 with a 78-84 record. Finishing last in the division is never something fans want to experience.
While the ending was sour last season, the offseason brings hope that things will improve. Teams get a fresh slate and the opportunity to fix problem areas.
However, the 2024 offseason has been a tough one for Red Sox fans. The front office hasn't done much to give fans hope of a different ending. They did sign Lucas Giolito to a two-year deal but with his struggles in recent years, it's not as exciting as it could be.
The team's best move so far was acquiring Vaughn Grissom from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Chris Sale, who had a rough stint with the Red Sox as he discussed in a recent appearance on the Foul Territory podcast.
Grissom has so much potential and he will be under team control for six years. He meets the team's need for a second baseman with good defense. Fans may remember the young infielder hitting his first MLB home run at Fenway Park while visiting with Atlanta.
The Sale move was bound to happen but the Sox sent over $17 million in the deal as well. That money would have been nice to have to put towards other players to improve the team. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow stated at the Winter Meetings that starting pitching is the team's biggest priority. But the results have been disappointing so far.
Boston has been mentioned as a landing spot for some big free agents during the offseason but they've whiffed on actually adding those players. The front office will regret not making these "big splash" moves to improve the team.
3 free agents the Red Sox will regret missing out on
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Next to Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the most desired free agent option for the 2024 offseason. He would have been an incredible addition to the Boston starting rotation but he ended up deciding to join Ohtani as the Dodgers shopping spree continued.
The Dodgers landed Yamamoto on a huge 12-year, $325 million deal. He would have been an excellent addition to the starting rotation. While he wouldn't have solved all of Boston's problems, he would have been a great solution.
The Japanese superstar met with the Red Sox and Boston was always linked to him, however, there's no indication of how involved those talks were. The ability to play with his fellow countryman and be as close to home as possible likely helped his decision to join LA in the end. The Dodgers are also built to win and that's very important to players of his caliber.
Lordes Gurriel Jr.
With Alex Verdugo being traded to the Yankees in exchange for three pitching prospects, there was an opening to improve the outfield position while also adding an excellent right-handed bat to the lineup.
Gurriel has been an excellent outfielder since his debut in 2018 with the Blue Jays. He has great bat-to-ball skills and is a decent defender. His bat is exactly what the Red Sox were looking for this off-season and his impressive performance in the postseason surely highlighted that.
He finished the 2023 regular season with a .261/.309/.463 line with 24 home runs and 82 RBI.
Unfortunately, Boston would not get the chance to see what he could bring to the team as the Diamondbacks re-signed Gurriel on a three-year deal worth $42 million. That's an AAV of $14 million and a pretty fair deal for a player of his caliber.
The Red Sox did trade for Tyler O'Neill, so he will likely serve as that option now and at a lower cost. He is expected to make $5.85 million for the 2024 season and has that same power potential in him. O'Neill hit 34 homers during the 2021 season with St. Louis. Hopefully, Boston can get him back to that level of performance and not regret passing on Hernandez as much.
Shōta Imanaga
Probably the move that will be most regretted by the Red Sox is missing out on Shōta Imanaga. Boston seemed to be a finalist for the talented pitcher's services, but in the end, did not land him.
The team wasn't willing to give what it took to add a great arm to their rotation. Yes, he isn't the top-of-the-rotation arm like Yamamoto but he's still a great arm and would have moved the needle for the Sox. For a front office that claimed they would go "full throttle" during the offseason, they've not backed up that statement with the current moves made.
Imanaga ended up signing with the Cubs on a four-year $53 million deal. That's an AAV of $13.25 million and an absolute steal for a pitcher with his talent. The deal also includes two mutual options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons and a club option for 2028. Why the Red Sox weren't willing to match that deal is beyond everyone.
Imanaga showed just how talented he is during the World Baseball Classic in which Japan won over Team USA.
Throughout his career in Japan, Imanaga is 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. He would have been a perfect fit for the Red Sox and it's a shame fans won't have the chance to see him play on a daily basis over the next few years.
There are still some free-agent options available for Boston to improve their rotation. Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are two of the biggest names left and each would be a welcome sight to a Red Sox rotation that is right-hand heavy at the moment. That'll be up to ownership, though. If they weren't willing to spend on these guys, there's little reason for them to extend themselves with who's left.
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