Red Sox potential reason for Corbin Burnes inactivity would validate Craig Breslow

If you've been perusing around Red Sox Twitter (Red Sox X doesn't exactly have the same ring to it) over the past week and change, there's been a familiar refrain: "Why hasn't Boston signed Corbin Burnes yet?" It's a fair question to ask given that Craig Breslow has spent exactly $14 million in free agency to date behind promises of increased aggressiveness this offseason.

Yes, that completely discounts the blockbuster trade that brought southpaw Garrett Crochet to the top of Boston's rotation. However, even that move looks good not great until the young emerging ace is locked into an extension. But with plenty of room still until the luxury tax threshold for the Red Sox, it seems silly that we've seen such apparent inactivity as it relates to the club and the top arm remaining in free agency, Burnes.

Though it might not be the same monetary value, Breslow might actually have a good reason for that based on the most recent rumors surrounding another top arm on the open market this offseason, Roki Sasaki.

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Red Sox rumored to be 'very serious' about signing Roki Sasaki

Even before Sasaki was officially posted and before his agent spoke at the Winter Meetings, many have assumed that the 23-year-old Japanese superstar would land on the West Coast with either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres. While those teams may still be the frontrunners, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reported on Wednesday that the Red Sox could still have their say in the matter, particularly pitching to Sasaki about their history with Japanese pitchers this century:

"In the AL, the Red Sox are very serious about making a pitch to the Sasaki team. The main selling point might be the history of Japanese pitchers having success and positive experiences playing in Boston: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Uehara and Junichi Tazawa. They have an impressive pitching development program and it certainly doesn’t hurt when the general manager, Craig Breslow, can speak directly to it (as opposed to just handing it off to 'the experts'). Breslow also personally scouted Sasaki for one of his starts in Japan in September."

Breslow personally scouting Sasaki is a clear indication of how intent the organization is on making him part of their plans. And in the context of the Crochet trade, it would fully justify why things have been so quiet when it comes to Burnes and Boston as well.

Sasaki, because he's being posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines before he's 25 years old, will be signed with international bonus pool money, rather than being available to the highest bidder. That, in theory, puts all 30 MLB teams in play with the resources to land him. It then becomes, in essence, whichever team sells itself best to Sasaki and what he wants.

But landing Sasaki could be the ideal plan for the Red Sox. It would lock him and Crochet in, in some order, as the top two of the rotation with both starters being under 26 years old, a massive boost for the future. Furthermore, the lack of financial resources it would require for Boston to sign Sasaki would not only allow the Red Sox to potentially add more bullpen help and a right-handed bat this offseason but would conceivably leave them open to the dream of landing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in free agency next offseason.

Of course, there's no guarantee that Breslow and Boston sign Sasaki. Again, it still seems as if they are not the favorites in this race. And if they do fail to get the deal done and Burnes is still available — or even if the front office has an inkling that Sasaki might not be realistic — then the 2021 NL Cy Young winner should still be in play. However, if all of this was to sign Sasaki to the Red Sox and that's where we end up, then everyone criticizing Breslow should take a nice helping of crow for their plate.