The 2025 World Series begins on Friday, but for 28 MLB teams not named the Los Angeles Dodgers or Toronto Blue Jays, the offseason has already begun.
One year after bringing in the likes of Alex Bregman and Garrett Crochet, the Boston Red Sox could have another busy winter.
The Red Sox appear to have a need for starting pitching, as the rotation beyond Crochet could use some improvement.
Boston has already been connected to multiple star hurlers in the upcoming free agency period, but on Thursday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic revealed some more starters that the Red Sox could target on the trade market.
Bowden revealed his “top 10 MLB stars most likely to be traded this offseason” and included six starting pitchers on the list. The insider linked five of those players to Boston: Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Freddy Peralta, Cincinnati Reds flamethrower Hunter Greene, Washington Nationals southpaw Mackenzie Gore and Miami Marlins former NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara.
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Skubal — arguably the best pitcher in the game — would be the biggest prize.
“Therefore, even though the Tigers are in position to compete for the postseason next year, it’s likely they shop Skubal at the Winter Meetings and try to make the best trade they can with so many big market teams with deep farm systems obviously wanting him, such as the Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Giants,” Bowden wrote.
Peralta, who led the NL in wins (17) in 2025 and made his second All-Star squad has an $8 million team option for 2026 that will “certainly” get picked up, per Bowden.
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The former MLB general manager adds, however, that Milwaukee is “expected to do the exact same thing they did two years ago with their then-ace Corbin Burnes and trade him.”
“He’s a true top-of-the-rotation ace at age 29. There will be plenty of interest in him on the trade market, with the Red Sox, Orioles, Mets, Angels, Astros, Giants, Padres and Tigers all likely to inquire on him,” Bowden said.
Greene is one of the riskier targets, as the 26-year-old has been limited by injuries across his four seasons, never recording more than 150 1/3 innings pitched. The former second overall pick made a career-low 19 starts in 2025.
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Bowden mentioned the Red Sox, Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants and both New York teams as those “likely to be interested” in Greene.
He wrote that Gore may be the pitcher that makes the sense for Boston, however.
“Paul Toboni has taken over as president of baseball operations for the Washington Nationals and it’s only a matter of time before he starts shopping Gore. Toboni’s old team, the Red Sox, seem like a good place to start. He’s so familiar with Boston’s prospect cabinet that I’m sure he’d find a strong return even if he can’t land the team’s very best prospects in a trade,” Bowden said. “He’s controllable for two more seasons, so the best time to trade him to maximize the return would be this offseason. It makes sense that his name is popping up everywhere. If the Red Sox don’t land him, watch for the Padres to push for a reunion.”
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Alcantara’s name has long been floated in Red Sox rumors, as it was reported shortly after the 2025 MLB trade deadline that Boston was among two teams that made the strongest push to acquire the right-hander.
The MLB Winter Meetings begin on Dec. 7.