Red Sox reporter names Dodgers starter as Boston's likeliest free agent pitching add

The Boston Red Sox will enter the offseason with hopes to sign or trade for an elite starting pitcher.

Top-tier choices like Corbin Burnes and Max Fried will be available as free agents, but Boston's increasingly stingy owners may be unwilling to make space on the payroll for either. The Sox have also been notoriously clingy with promising prospects, and a blockbuster trade may also be off the table — although, the front office made sure to clarify that no one on the major league roster is off the table when it comes to trades this year.

Red Sox Nation isn't confident their favorite team's ownership will blow it out of the water with a huge signing this winter, but the front office's messaging has changed from last offseason. Alex Cora, Craig Breslow and Sam Kennedy have mentioned contending for a World Series as their goal, but the Sox can't do that in the American League East without pitching reinforcements.

In her latest Red Sox mailbag, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic named Jack Flaherty as Boston's most likely Opening Day starter from a list provided by a reader. The list comprises Flaherty, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Garrett Crochet, Max Fried and a starter from the Mariners organization.

Red Sox reporter names Jack Flaherty as Boston's most likely Opening Day starter

McCaffrey ranked Flaherty ahead of Houck as the likeliest choice for Opening Day, which suggests she's confident the Sox will sign at least one highly-touted starter this offseason. Flaherty is projected to be less expensive than Fried, who will be less expensive than Burnes, which makes him the best fit for the Red Sox given their recent spending — or not spending — choices.

While Burnes is the best available free agent pitcher and Fried's left-handedness makes him an ideal fit for Boston's rotation, every big-market team will throw money at them when the market opens, and the Red Sox may not get lucky enough to land a deal first. Flaherty is still a quality option who could improve Boston's rotation and add a veteran presence to the pitching staff.

In his age-28 season, Flaherty posted a 3.17 ERA — the second-lowest of his career — with a 1.07 WHIP and 194 strikeouts over 162 innings between the Tigers and Dodgers. MLB insider Jim Bowden predicts Flaherty will sign a three-year, $68 million deal, which is a good price range and time for the Red Sox, who have been reluctant to sign hurlers to long-term contracts.

The Red Sox could afford Flaherty and another top-of-the-line pitcher, and it's a shame Sox fans have become so jaded by the state of the team that a big-ticket addition is hard to believe or hope for. But McCaffrey's optimism about Boston signing Flaherty could be a signal of impending change in the Red Sox organization.

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