The Boston Red Sox came into the offseason with a massive hole in their pitching staff. They swung a few trades to kick off the offseason, namely one for St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray.
But the Red Sox continued to pursue more pitching. They are reportedly interested in multiple free agent pitchers. They’ve also been connected to a trade for Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan for the last year. The Red Sox seemingly targeted him at the trade deadline, but no deal came together.
But Red Sox insider Rob Bradford recently reported that the Red Sox were pulling back on their pursuit of a trade for Ryan this offseason.
The Twins could look to trade Ryan this winter after committing to a fire sale at the trade deadline. But the asking price for a star like Ryan would be huge, which is likely the reason the Red Sox are pulling back their interest in the righty.
Still, the Red Sox could pursue a pitcher this winter. They would make a lot of sense as a suitor for San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King, who sits in free agency. If they want to spend a bit of money, they could go after Framber Valdez.
Still, it would make more sense for the Red Sox to sign a pitcher like King in free agency. This would save enough money for the team to also re-sign or replace Alex Bregman in their infield, which is likely going to cost over $150 million.
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