LAS VEGAS — The Red Sox are looking to acquire a front of the rotation starter this offseason.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said he’s pursuing a starter who can pitch Game 2 of a postseason series after Garrett Crochet in Game 1. He emphasized that the Red Sox’ window to contend is open and the market will dictate if he acquires the starter via a trade or free agency.
Breslow traded four prospects, including two Baseball America Top 100 prospects, for Crochet last offseason. He is willing to trade more top prospects this offseason after Crochet helped Boston reach its first postseason berth since 2021. Breslow knows it’s a formula that works but he also stressed being “mindful of keeping one eye on the future.”
“We also don’t want to be in a position where we’re having to do that year over year,” Breslow said during The GM Meetings here at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
The Red Sox are in a position to be aggressive and they have the pieces to land a co-ace. Boston has six Baseball America Top 100 prospects in shortstop Marcelo Mayer (9), lefty Payton Tolle (38), shortstop Franklin Arias (48), righty Kyson Witherspoon (62), outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia (76) and lefty Connelly Early (100).
“It would certainly put a dent in our system, making a trade like that (for a second straight offseason),” Breslow said. “I have a ton of confidence in both the acquisition and development spaces that we can continue to identify players that can thrive in our system and continue to make them better. Trading is certainly one way of improving our short-term outlook, but free agency is another. I think if that situation is in front of us, we’ll make whatever we believe would be the best decision for the organization.”
The cost will be hefty no matter if the Red Sox trade for a starter or sign one in free agency.
The Red Sox’ 2025 payroll exceeded the $241 million CBT base threshold. So if Boston signed a qualified free agent, it would forfeit its second-highest and fifth-highest draft selections in the 2026 MLB Draft and have its international signing bonus pool for the next signing period reduced by $1 million.
Top free agent starters Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Zac Gallen, Shota Imanaga and Brandon Woodruff all received qualifying offers.
“We have to determine how we value those things relative to each other and how we value one player vs. the alternatives that are available to us,” Breslow said about weighing whether to give up draft pick compensation as opposed to prospects already in the system. “We’re in a position where we need to improve our 2026 roster and that means that there are certain trade-offs that we have to accept, and I think we’re prepared to do that.”
Last offseason, Breslow traded Braden Montgomery to the White Sox in the Crochet deal less than six months after he selected the 22-year-old outfielder 12th overall in the 2024 Draft.
It’s rare for top prospects to be traded so soon after being drafted. But Breslow already did it once, and Witherspoon, the 15th overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft, is certainly a valuable trade chip along with Tolle and Early. Witherspoon is viewed highly across the industry and Baseball America actually named him one of 12 draft prospects who could make his MLB debut in 2026
“Other teams have noticed some of the young arms and the way that they contributed for us down the stretch,” Breslow said.
Breslow said “it’s hard to say somebody is untouchable” and added that “to close off any avenue to improve the team seems silly at this point.”
While no one is necessarily untouchable, the Red Sox might not want to move Mayer based on the state of their infield right now. The Sox are currently without a third baseman after Alex Bregman opted out. Second base also remains a question mark after Boston ranked 17th in OPS (.670) at that position in 2025. Mayer is a candidate to start at third or second base depending on how this offseason plays out. With such uncertainty at both positions, it would be difficult to deal Mayer.
Shortstop Trevor Story also struggled defensively in 2025. He finished with negative-seven defensive runs saved in 1,371 ⅓ innings at shortstop, ranking him 20th out of 22 qualified MLB shortstops in that category. Breslow made it clear Story will be Boston’s shortstop in 2026. But if Story’s defense continues to decline and needs to be moved to second base, it would be nice to have the sure-handed Mayer to slide over to shortstop, his natural position.
The Red Sox also have the ability to package a proven, controllable big league outfielder along with prospects. The Sox have four starting-caliber outfielders and are thought to be willing to trade from their outfield surplus with Wilyer Abreu (under team control through 2029) and Jarren Duran (under team control 2028) being the two most obvious trade candidates.
“We have to be open-minded about what improving our team could look like,” Breslow said. “And if that means having uncomfortable conversations about players that we think could be part of the long-term solution here, we’ll at least listen.”
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