Red Sox Rumors: Juan Soto tide turning, Max Fried buzz, Breslow aggression

The MLB Winter Meetings are all but upon us and the Boston Red Sox appear to be one of the biggest players to watch both in free agency and the trade markets. Numerous Red Sox rumors throughout baseball have indicated they're in on Juan Soto, targeting Max Fried, exploring Corbin Burnes, involved with Garrett Crochet, and so on. They seem destined to make a splash. The question remains, though, how big of a splash and which players are heading to Boston?

Let's check in with the latest Red Sox rumors to try and unpack the direction of where Boston could be heading in their pursuits this offseason.

Craig Breslow plans to keep Red Sox aggressive regardless of Juan Soto

Ahead of the Winter Meetings, Craig Breslow sat down with ostensibly a preview for what the Red Sox could do at this crux of the offseason and free agency with Sean McAdam of MassLive. And though he didn't outright talk about Juan Soto and the organization's pursuit of the prized option on the open market this offseason, Breslow did seem to enlighten everyone into the team's thought process.

The good news is that it's the plan that Red Sox fans would want, regardless of what happens with Soto, based on how Breslow framed the front office viewing this offseason of aggression and spending:

"I think the one thing we want to avoid is putting ourselves in a position where the success of our offseason hinges on a single transaction. Because there’s just too much uncertainty around any of that. We have to constantly think about, ‘OK, this is Plan A, but if that falls through, what does Plan B look like and what can does Plan C look like?’ And so on."

This is a huge change in mentality for the Red Sox and speaks further to the things we've been hearing about the club's plight this offseason. Last winter, Boston did indeed make a competitive offer and go hard after Yoshinobu Yamamoto before he signed with the Dodgers. The frustration with the fan base, however, was Breslow and Co. seeming to hang it up thereafter. These latest comments indicate we won't see the same this offseason.

What should make fans even more optimistic that's the case is that the rumors we've heard already back that up. Boston was clearly in the mix to sign Blake Snell but missed out as he landed with LA. They quickly turned their attention to other starting pitching upgrades, though, all while still being connected to Soto, Nolan Arenado, Willy Adames, Teoscar Hernandez and more.

So even if Boston doesn't get Soto or, obviously, Snell, Breslow sounds like an executive ready to leave no stone unturned to upgrade this roster. And with the trade chip arsenal the Red Sox have, that mentality could yield blockbuster results as we get deeper into the winter.

Max Fried to Boston buzz adds another connection to the growing list

Among the many reports that this is a different offseason for Boston and Breslow's comments recently, one of the biggest needs for the club remains upgrading the rotation with a frontline starting pitcher. With Blake Snell off the board to the Dodgers early, the conversation for the Red Sox quickly shifted to Atlanta Braves star Max Fried.

Immediately after Snell inked his deferral-heavy deal with Los Angeles, Bob Nightengale of USA Today quickly reported that Boston was shifting its focus to the other high-end lefty free agent, Fried. And while Fried and other marquee free agents may still be waiting on Soto's decision, the buzz that he will end up with the Red Sox has been constant. We also have another entrant into the growing list of connections.

Former MLB general manager and current writer/analyst/insider for The Athletic ($), Jim Bowden played free agency matchmaker ahead of the Winter Meetings. His free agent for the Sox: Max Fried, go figure:

"The Red Sox have been aggressive this offseason and I’ll be shocked if they don’t land one of the top free-agent pitchers in this class. Although I keep thinking Fried will go back to the Braves, I could see the Red Sox being the highest bidder and landing him. Fried is a big-game pitcher and his 58 percent ground-ball rate would be effective at Fenway Park. He posted a 3.25 ERA last season in 29 starts (174 1/3 innings) and was worth 3.5 WAR. He’s pitched to a 3.07 ERA over his eight-year career."

It is worth noting that staying with the Braves remains an enticing option for Fried and a realistic one at that, especially with the Dodgers already hitching their wagon to Snell. Moreover, Atlanta is a serious threat to Boston in such a free agency race. At the same time, though, Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves have proven that their pockets are only so deep and, if the Red Sox are serious about spending, Bowden is correct in that they could strong-arm the Braves out of the conversation.

There are backup options to Fried, not the least of which would be signing Corbin Burnes or trading for Garrett Crochet. Having said that, it does appear that Fried is the top arm that Breslow and Co. want to bring to Boston.

Major change in Juan Soto sweepstakes is good sign for Red Sox

Despite real signs for optimism regarding the Red Sox and Juan Soto that have popped up over the past few weeks, much of the national coverage regarding Boston's connection to the superstar 26-year-old has treated the club almost like an "also-ran" in this free agency race. In fact, much of the coverage has boiled down to Soto making a decision between the New York franchises, the incumbent Yankees and the deep-pocketed Mets.

While the Red Sox may still be considered the third team in terms of the Soto power rankings, there has been a distinct change in the coverage we've seen of late. And that goes beyond the Nov. 26 report from Scott Boras mouthpiece Jon Heyman stating that Boston was stepping up in its pursuit of the slugger.

Case in point would be Chris "Mad Dog" Russo appearing on MLB Network and saying "don't sleep on" the Red Sox as a team that could land Soto.

Russo may not be among the top tier of MLB insiders, to say the least, but it's notable. This makes Boston, an organization that requested another supposedly final meeting with Soto and Boras to try and lock it down, seem like a major factor in this free agency bidding war. Given all of the reporting, it gives the impression that the Red Sox absolutely have a seat at the table.

It's been difficult among Red Sox fans to decipher the noise from the actual concrete rumors that make this dream seem like a foreseeable reality in Boston. As we continue to read tea leaves such as this with a decision reportedly nearing, however, there remains good reason for cautious optimism among the fan base.