Red Sox fans will love Bleacher Report's early free agency prediction for Boston

Following a disappointing trade deadline performance, fans of the Boston Red Sox are surely hoping that the front office is preparing for an active offseason.

The main priority is still the 2025 season. Following a scorching-hot July that included a 10-game winning streak prior to the All-Star break, the team currently sits in a position to take the top spot in the division, if it stays hot. The team also currently holds the first Wild Card spot in the junior circuit, putting it in a prime position to make the playoffs and receive a semi-favorable matchup in the first round.

However, the offseason will come regardless of how the team performs, and with few opportunities to add to the roster between now and November, you can be sure the front office is already planning out how it will approach free agency.

As such, other outlets are already putting in their predictions for free agency, and Bleacher Report's latest take on the topic will have fans salivating for the winter. In the piece, MLB analyst Kerry Miller suggests the Red Sox will sign Framber Valdez over the offseason.

Red Sox predicted to land Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez in free agency

Miller predicts that Valdez will sign a five-year, $160 million contract with the Red Sox this offseason, which is a remarkably close figure to what Garrett Crochet signed for when he extended with the team earlier this year (six years, $170 million).

Valdez has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past half-decade, and his performance since 2022 is simply astounding. In 112 starts in that span covering 715 2/3 innings, Valdez has pitched to a 3.02 ERA, 3.19 FIP, and equally-impressive strikeout (24.3%) and walk (7.7%) rates. Like Crochet and Brayan Bello in Boston, he's been an absolute workhorse this season. Valdez has finished in the top 10 in AL Cy Young voting in every season from 2022-24, a feat he's sure to repeat in 2025.

Now, he isn't perfect, as he'll turn 32 in November and will certainly be attached to the qualifying offer if the Astros don't re-sign him. Still, on a deal that doesn't extend past five seasons, he'd make for one heck of a co-ace to fellow southpaw Crochet.

For what it's worth, Miller predicts that third baseman Alex Bregman will leave for the Detroit Tigers on a four-year, $128 million deal. That would sting something fierce, but a renewed focus on the pitching staff after largely neglecting it at the trade deadline could force some tough decisions in Boston.

If all the shuffling leads to Valdez pitching in a Red Sox uniform, though, it's hard to say it wouldn't be worth it.