Just two years ago, the Boston Red Sox were within two games of reaching the World Series, ultimately losing the 2021 ALCS to the Houston Astros in six.
Since then, however, things haven't gone nearly as smoothly in Beantown. In each of the last two seasons, the Red Sox have gone 78-84, resulting in last-place finishes in the American League East, which has become arguably the most competitive division in baseball.
Red Sox should be active this offseason
Before the 2023 season ended, Boston already begun making changes as Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom was relieved of his duties despite having a year remaining on his contract.
But the front office obviously isn't the only place needing some shuffling. Simply put, the Red Sox can't compete for a division title, let alone a World Series, with their current roster. But with MLB free agency looming, the powers that be have a chance to get Alex Cora some new blood, as plenty of high-profile players will be on the market.
With that in mind, let's take a look at five free agents the Red Sox could bring in to get them back into title contention.
Blake Snell, LHP
There's no question that the Red Sox need to upgrade their starting pitching rotation, as only two reached the 10-win mark this past season, those being Brayan Bello (12-11) and Nick Pivetta (10-9). The team also ranked 22nd in starter ERA at 4.68.
So that's where we'll put our focus on the first few entries here, starting with 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
In 2023, his third season with the Padres, Snell had his best year since the Tampa Bay Rays shipped him to San Diego, posting a 14-9 record and leading all of Major League Baseball with a 2.25 ERA.
Snell will likely command a big contract, but the soon-to-be 31-year-old has proven his worth and his reliability over the years in both leagues. Since starting 19 games as a rookie in 2016, the Seattle native has started 23 games or more in every season of his career, the only exception being the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.