3 free agents Red Sox can sign and 1 trade to overtake Yankees after Juan Soto whiff

Juan Soto is not joining the Boston Red Sox. While there are plenty of people ready to skewer John Henry for not getting the deal done and having a final offer of $700 million over 15 years — well short of the final Steve Cohen-backed 15-year, $765 million contract he signed — I refuse to see that negatively. The Sox were in the Soto sweepstakes as a real player to the end, even when the bidding reached $100M more than expected. It was when it kept growing that it bowed out.

Craig Breslow and the Red Sox, however, have maintained leading up to the Winter Meetings that this wasn't a Juan Soto-or-Bust offseason. Breslow outright said that missing on Plan A wasn't an excuse and they needed to be ready with Plans B and C. Now is the time to show that — especially as Soto lands with the Mets and leaves the rival New York Yankees high and dry. It's an opportunity for Boston to take hold of the AL East and perhaps the American League at large.

But how do the Red Sox do that with Soto off the board? These backup plans combined with the already talent-rich and youth-laden roster would put Boston right into the AL pennant race, even without Soto playing his home games at Fenway Park.

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Teoscar Hernandez can still give the Red Sox lineup a huge boost

Much like was the case at the trade deadline, the need for right-handed bats in the Red Sox lineup is huge. Unlike at the trade deadline, though, the answer is hopefully going to be better than Danny Jansen was. Boston has been connected to Alex Bregman in free agency and Nolan Arenado in a trade already. However, the best connection for this team would clearly be running back a pursuit of Teoscar Hernandez.

ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported on Monday after the Soto deal was signed the night before that, while Hernandez returning to the Dodgers once "seemed inevitable", that is less likely with the Red Sox and Yankees vying for his services. And though it doesn't seem like there's a deal on the table just yet, Boston needs to lock this down with a quickness as they have expressed interest in the same outfielder they pursued last offseason but wouldn't go for extra years that Hernandez wanted.

But the 32-year-old would be a godsend in this lineup. Not only would he provide the same pop of Tyler O'Neill after four straight seasons of 29+ home runs but he is just a better all-around hitter, slashing .272/.339/.501 last season in LA. What's more, he does what the Red Sox need from a right-handed bat: Mash in Fenway and mash lefties. Hernandez has a career .894 OPS against lefties and has a .950 OPS with 14 home runs and nine doubles across 45 games at Fenway.

Hernandez is the dream for the lineup now that Soto is off the board.

Jeff Hoffman would be the next upgrade for the Boston bullpen

Though it hasn't been all that splashy, the one area of the roster that we've already seen the Red Sox and Breslow upgrade has been the bullpen. Signing veteran Justin Wilson and former rival Aroldis Chapman gives Boston the left-handed help they so often lacked in the 2024 season. However, the overall top-end quality of the relievers in the building remains something to be desired. With one big splash, though, that could all change.

With how the market has shaped up, Jeff Hoffman appears to be the right guy to fill that role for the Red Sox. After middling in the start of his career with the Rockies and Reds, Hoffman's two-year stint in Philadelphia was downright dominant. Over 122 appearances with the Phillies, Hoffman posted a 2.28 ERA and 0.944 WHIP. He was a dominant force and looks to be trending toward more of the same.

There has been some talk this offseason of the Hoffman potentially following the Reynaldo Lopez plan in Atlanta, converting to a starter in hopes that he can thrive when stretched out. For the Red Sox, though, he would be better served as a surefire dominant presence out of the bullpen. And if they can make the price right, the fact that the Phils just signed Jordan Romano might open the door for Boston to come in and close the deal.

Red Sox need Max Fried or Roki Sasaki like they need air

Further upgrading the bullpen would be great. Adding one of the elite starting pitchers on the open market would be even better for the Red Sox. They were in on Blake Snell before he signed with the Dodgers, so now it seems like the best options remaining for Breslow to pursue are former Brave Max Fried and Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki.

Fried has been rumored as a top target for quite some time and the latest reports indicate the Red Sox and rival Yankees, both on the outside looking in with Soto, will be warring for the southpaw's services. The bidding for Sasaki could be even crazier as he'll only cost international pool money, meaning he'll be substantially more cost-effective, though that could make him less likely. Both pitchers, however, are ace-caliber starters who would slot perfectly atop Boston' rotation.

It should be said, Corbin Burnes would also be an option for the Red Sox if they were so inclined. However, recent reports indicate the former Brewer and Oriole may prefer playing on the West Coast, which would obviously hurt Boston's chances. So as of now, it seems like Fried and Sasaki might be slightly more realistic options.

But this really speaks to the larger point. Even more than the Sox needed Soto, upgrading the front-end of the rotation is of paramount importance. Making Tanner Houck a No. 2 or 3 starter is a force multiplier for this team and could absolutely help Boston take full control of the AL East. And speaking of upgrading the rotation, Fried and Sasaki aren't the only way to do that...

A Red Sox-Mariners trade for Luis Castillo could be Boston's best bet

Let me start by saying that I've never remotely been a fan of even entertaining Triston Casas. If that's on the table for the Red Sox, though, getting on the horn with the Mariners about the possibility of landing either Logan Gilbert or George Kirby should be in play because, well, that's obviously a monstrus upgrade to Boston's rotation that's desperately needed — though it would also require shuffling to replace Casas.

However, if we're keeping Casas in the building as I believe they should, there's still a potential trade with the Mariners that could upgrade the rotation, especially if the Sox are able to land Fried, Sasaki or Burnes in free agency. Luis Castillo would be an ideal No. 2 in Boston, making a palatable $24.15 million per year over the next three seasons with a $25 million vesting option in 2028 as well.

Even in his early 30s as he's spent 2.5 seasons with Seattle now, Castillo has pitched to a 3.43 ERA with a 1.126 WHIP. What's more, with the improvements we saw with the Red Sox pitching staff under Andrew Bailey, there's a chance his sinker, elite splitter, and slider could be even more devastating and effective.

Most importantly, the Mariners appear open to dealing Castillo, especially if it brings back major-league hitting as the offense has hamstrung Seattle in recent years. Whether that's Masataka Yoshida, Wilyer Abreu or someone else that could be moved to appease them, the Red Sox have options and Castillo would be an ideal fit.