Boston Red Sox fans are cautiously happy about the team's new starting pitching additions in Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. Both guys improve Boston's rotational depth, and Gray, once wielding ace-worthy stuff in his prime, now measures up as a tremendous No. 3 starter at his advancing age (36).
You can talk yourself into Gray as a viable No. 2, but you won't hear many (or any) Red Sox fans having that discussion these days. The general feeling among Sox supporters is that Boston still lacks a dynamic No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet, and the corresponding expectation is that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is on the hunt for one.
The potential targets are well-known, not just to the Red Sox and their fans, but to any franchise looking to add an ace or No. 2. On the trade market, Freddy Peralta, Joe Ryan, or Hunter Greene could be had for an overwhelming offer. Via free agency, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, and Tatsuya Imai are the best three arms still available.
But here's a thought that might be dangerous and uncomfortable for Red Sox fans to entertain: what if Breslow isn't getting any of those guys? What if Boston is done shopping for starting pitching, and this whole narrative about landing a bona fide No. 2 has been more or less fan-created from the start?
When you listen to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal's take on the Red Sox, the above premise sounds pretty close to reality. In essence, Rosenthal doesn't think the Red Sox are going to go after more starting pitching this winter.
Ken Rosenthal believes the Red Sox are done adding starting pitching to their 2026 roster
"They feel that they're pretty deep, and they've got more coming [internally]."@Ken_Rosenthal doesn't anticipate the Red Sox adding another starting pitcher. pic.twitter.com/MEr4rti8Dz
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) December 5, 2025
"Their focus now should be the bat," he said. "Whether it's (Alex) Bregman, or (Pete) Alonso, or both, or someone else."
Fans know that Breslow is prioritizing a bat (or two), but they also assumed that another star-level starting pitcher was in play. With Gray, Brayan Bello, and perhaps Connelly Early filling out the three, four, and five spots in the rotation, the vision of Crochet and one of the names mentioned above as the No. 2 is what's been making the rounds on X this offseason as fans' blueprint for a World Series staff.
At this point, something falling in between the dream of a Peralta or a Ryan and Rosenthal's prediction (i.e. nothing) feels realistic for Boston. With each passing day, it seems less likely that the Red Sox will add an ace-type guy behind Crochet, but are they really going to add nothing more, as Rosenthal suggested? That feels dire.
Keep an eye on young left-hander MacKenzie Gore in thinking about this middle ground. There's buzz abound that he'll be moved in the coming days, and he has No. 2-type upside.