Red Sox could stick it to AL East rival in free agency and Juan Soto’s not involved

The Boston Red Sox are lagging behind in the American League Wild Card race, in large part due to the inefficacy of their pitching staff. It has been a struggle from the jump. Lucas Giolito suffered a season-ending injury before he even tossed his first pitch. Tanner Houck made a leap, but Brayan Bello's development is taking the scenic route. Houck is the only Red Sox starter with a sub-4.00 ERA.

It hasn't been much better in the bullpen of late either. Barring a significant turnaround down the stretch, Boston is going to slowly fade out of the postseason picture. The Red Sox just don't have momentum on their side right now. The roster is solid, though, and there's reason to believe Boston can take the next step in 2025, assuming the front office lives up to its billing.

Craig Breslow took over the Red Sox front office last winter and immediately talked a big game. Rather than engineering the moves necessary to keep pace with New York and Baltimore, however, the Red Sox mostly stood by idly while top-shelf free agents were scooped up. Giolito, their one splashy pitching addition, immediately got hurt, and Boston simply did not have a place to pivot.

The Red Sox are a competitive bunch, which means the fandom will enter the offseason with high expectations. Boston has been reluctant to spend on the same level as New York and other contenders for a while, but there's really no excuse for the Red Sox of historic Fenway Park to cheap out in the face of real championship odds.

Lo and behold, Boston has been connected to the biggest free agent of the 2025 offseason not named Juan Soto. It's the sort of possibility that should truly excite the Red Sox faithful.

Red Sox connected to Corbin Burnes as early free agent market takes shape

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand lists the Red Sox as a fit for upcoming free agent Corbin Burnes, who started the All-Star game this season in a Baltimore Orioles uniform. Burnes arrived in Baltimore via offseason trade and has looked right at home, posting a 3.10 ERA and 1.11 WHIP through 25 starts.

Burnes is on track to finish top-10 in Cy Young voting for the fifth straight season. He won the award back in 2021, as part of the National League. He is among the most dependable and durable aces in the MLB, and he's exactly what the Red Sox rotation is currently missing. Mixing a high-90s cutter with a deadly collection of off-speed pitches, Burnes keeps hitters off balance and rarely cedes hard contact.

Feinsand expects the O's to work hard to keep Burnes with a bold new ownership group, but he anticipates "a number of clubs" placing bids for the 29-year-old. Burnes is a Scott Boras client, so he is sure to prioritize guaranteed money over comfort or familiarity. We don't really have a precedent for this Baltimore front office in the offseason, aside from the Burnes trade. The O's should spend more than they have in the past, but how much more?

Earlier this summer, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal appeared on 'Foul Territory TV' to declare that Burnes "is not coming back" to Baltimore. Perhaps it was too soon to render judgement, but generally reporters don't deploy such cut-and-dry verbiage unless there is sound reason to.

In the end, this is all predicated on Boston's own aggression. If the front office balks at a contract that could balloon well north of $200 million in total, Burnes won't give the Red Sox the time of day. If Boston comes on strong with a serious offer and presents Burnes with a chance to pitch in Fenway, for such a historic franchise, it's not hard to let your imagination run wild with the possibilities.