Red Sox lack of aggression for Garrett Crochet shines harsh spotlight on Craig Breslow
With Juan Soto officially signing with the New York Mets, teams that missed out now know where they stand this winter and what direction to improve their roster for 2025 and beyond. That's why it's concerning, if you're a Red Sox fan, to hear that the team is only 'peripherally' interested in trading for ace Garrett Crochet, even if it does come with a premium price tag.
Continue hearing Red Sox are just on the periphery of Garrett Crochet talks and are not aggressors at all, at least to this point.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) December 8, 2024
Cincinnati seen as a real threat to land Crochet. Yankees believed to be in, too.
After playing the waiting game with Juan Soto, the Red Sox missed on Blake Snell, Willy Adames, and Tyler O'Neill. With Corbin Burnes and Max Fried's markets set to heat up, it could spell disaster for the Red Sox if they don't add one of those two pitchers to their starting rotation.
O'Neill already bolsters the Red Sox's division rival's offense. Still, they have a bigger issue: The Red Sox's other division rival, the Yankees, are not happy about missing out on Soto, and rest assured they will be one of the most aggressive teams in free agency from here on out. It just so happens the Yankees will also be eyeing the top tier of free-agent starting pitching, and the Sox can't afford to let Burnes and Fried get away from them.
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Red Sox have the assets to pay the Garrett Crochet premium
Where the Red Sox can create a better roster is in the trade market. They have a solid enough farm system that paying the premium for Crochet still leaves enough of a farm that doesn't deplete them. If they didn't have several top MLB prospects, the time wouldn't be now to complete this trade.
The Red Sox are more than one big move away from taking over the division, especially after the Yankees go on their upcoming shopping spree.
With enough tradable assets, the Red Sox need to understand that they aren't going to get very many chances in free agency to solidify their rotation. The Red Sox could have the upper hand on Crochet talks, where they could land him and not have to find themselves in a bidding war for the market's top arms next winter. They need to get aggressive here because missing Soto and two of their backup plan targets is not a good start to the offseason.
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