Red Sox To Sign $180 Million Starter Even After Signing Juan Soto, Report Says

The Boston Red Sox continue to appear serious in their pursuit of generational free agent slugger Juan Soto. But even if Boston succeeds in landing the star who ranked fourth in the 2024 MLB.com Hitter Power Rankings, they will not be done with their offseason shopping, according to a report from a top Boston insider.

Alex Speier of The Boston Globe wrote on Wednesday that even if the Red Sox break from their penny-pinching practices of the previous six seasons and win the bidding war for Soto, Boston will remain on the hunt for a top-of-the-line starting pitcher, most likely in the free agent market.

“According to sources, the Sox do not view the pursuit of Soto and a front-of-the-rotation starter as an either/or proposition,” Speier reported. “They’d still be looking to add a top starter even if they land the top player on the market.”

Red Sox May Look to Sign Corbin Burnes

With former San Francisco Giants lefty Blake Snell now off the market after agreeing to sign a five-year, $182 million contract with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Red Sox are left to pursue Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried, or former Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles workhorse Corbin Burnes, according to Speier’s report.

Snell’s deal with the Dodgers marked the first nine-figure deal of the 2024-2025 offseason, an indication that the market which appears to have been waiting on Soto to settle on a destination, may be heating up.

While the Red Sox are generally believed to be in pursuit of a left-handed starter, one prominent Red Sox news and fan account on X (formerly Twitter) has urged the club to prioritize Burnes.

“The Red Sox should move fast and secure Corbin Burnes,” wrote the 70,000-follower account Boston Strong, “He’s the best starter available. I understand that they want a lefty but he’s the horse they need at the top of their rotation.”

The Red Sox failed to settle on a fifth starter last season, while their top four of Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta were all right-handed.

Burnes is One of MLB’s Most Durable Arms

The 30-year-old Burnes, however, brings a high level of durability to the Red Sox rotation, should he land in Boston. Over his last four campaigns, the righty has not pitched fewer than 167 innings in a season, and has recorded at least 190 in each of the last three years.

Over that four-year span, Burnes has averaged six innings per start. In that same time period, the average Major League starter pitched only five innings per outing.

In 2022 the Bakersfield, California, native started a National League high 33 games for the Brewers, while starting 32 the following season and 32 again in 2024 when he pitched for the Orioles on a one-year, $15.6 million contract.

The sports business site SpoTrac estimates Burnes value on the current free agent market at $180,814,848 over a six-year contract.

The Dodgers’ signing of Snell, however, has been widely considered an overpay and as a result, may inflate the going rate for Burnes, Fried and other starting pitchers still available on the free agent market.