Despite the Boston Red Sox's relatively new reluctance to spend on top-tier talent in free agency, the links between the Sox and the market's best players persist.
Red Sox fans have grown tired of hearing that their favorite ballclub is in the mix for highly coveted free agents just to lose out to another team. MLB insider Jon Heyman has heard it repeatedly whenever he reports Boston has checked in with another player. He recently doubled down on the Sox's connection to Juan Soto.
Soto will surely become one of the most well-paid players in MLB history after he signs this winter. Most experts predict he'll be with the Yankees or Mets for the rest of his career, but Heyman reports the Red Sox, Giants, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Rays have also inquired about the superstar.
MLB insider Jon Heyman links Red Sox to Juan Soto, believes they'll ' big'
“Word is they are quietly laying the groundwork to begin spending and competing again after completely laying low for years,“ Heyman said of the Red Sox.
Boston's outfield is slated to be packed next year with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Rob Refsnyder, and potentially Roman Anthony and Tyler O'Neill. But Soto is better than all of them, and his .288/.419/.569 slash line and a career-high 41 homers would play perfectly at Fenway Park.
According to @JonHeyman, at least seven teams have "called" about Juan Soto.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 7, 2024
Harold ranks the Dodgers as being the most serious suitor ✍️#MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/8MkKQrPXIE
Red Sox again linked to Teoscar Hernández after whiffing on him last offseason
The Red Sox have also been linked to another outfielder — one they've been matched with before. Teoscar Hernández could be on the move again this offseason after he won a World Series with the Dodgers.
Los Angeles signed Hernández last winter while the Sox hoped to sign him themselves. Boston has been linked to the outfielder again, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, after an even better offensive year than his 2023 season.
Hernández slashed .272/.339/.501 with a .840 OPS, 32 doubles, two triples, 33 homers and 99 RBI in 154 games. His righty power would be a great addition to Boston's outfield but it's already packed. The Dodgers also extended a qualifying offer to Hernández, and after his great season and Fall Classic win, he may want to stick it out in Los Angeles.
Jon Heyman reports the Red Sox are in on Max Fried
The Red Sox are desperate for top-of-the-rotation pitching, and free agent lefty Max Fried is one of the best choices on the market. Heyman reports that Boston is "in" on the longtime Braves star.
Fried pitched to a 3.25 ERA with a 1.164 WHIP, 166 strikeouts and 57 walks in 174.1 innings in 2024. He earned the second All-Star nod of his eight-year career in what could be his final season in Atlanta.
Fried and Corbin Burnes may be the two best arms available this winter, but Fried's left-handedness makes more sense for Boston. The rest of its staff comprises righties, and Fried would bring some much-needed balance and diversity to the Sox's rotation.