A lot of fans are confused with the direction that Red Sox management is taking this offseason. Boston has missed out on a lot of high-quality free-agent options due to making uncompetitive offers or being beaten out by other clubs.
There are more players on the market than just the top candidates, though. Behind the Blake Snells and the Jordan Montgomerys, there are still some fine options for the Red Sox to choose from to bolster the rotation and batting order.
It has to be said that Boston should not have to pick from lower-tier free agents — the Red Sox are a big-market team that recently refuses to spend like one. The options presented here make up a kind of "best of the rest" list that the Sox are going to have to pick from if they don't land any top candidates, a prospect that increases in likelihood with each passing day.
Boston's two greatest needs this offseason are starting pitching and right-handed power in the batter's box. The Red Sox have been linked to Marcus Stroman and Jorge Soler, both of whom could make significant contributions in their respective roles, but those would still be great signings and are far from last-resort picks.
In no particular order, here are the best remaining options for the Red Sox to have a salvageable 2024 season.
4 best last resorts still available for Red Sox in free agency
Michael Lorenzen - RHP
Lorenzen is coming off an All-Star season and a no-hitter in 2023 and he could offer some rotation depth that Boston needs. Lorenzen made 25 starts and 29 appearances in his age-31 season and he finished the campaign with a 4.18 ERA, slightly higher than his career average of 4.11.
Lorenzen has experience pitching as a starter and reliever, much like the Sox's Nick Pivetta, making him a flexible asset that Alex Cora can shuffle around the roster as needed. His ability to pitch as many innings as Pivetta is up in the air, as his second full season as a starter didn't end on a high note in Philadelphia — his ERA soared from 3.23 to 4.18 after his no-hit bid on Aug. 9.
Being named an All-Star in 2023 at the age of 31 shows that Lorenzen has a lot to give, despite his track record as a reliever. The Sox's rotation would be far from perfect, but at least Lorenzen could eat some innings with confidence.