Rumors are picking up about the Boston Red Sox right now. Boston has plenty of work to do but it’s still unclear exactly what the club will do. The Red Sox entered the offseason looking to add pitching and while that still is the case, it sounds like there’s a lot more the club will do.
The Red Sox reportedly are looking to cut salary — although they are one of the biggest clubs in the sport — and now could even trade outfielder Masataka Yoshida despite a solid rookie season.
Boston still needs to add pitching above all else so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see a move shortly. One player who has popped up as a possible option for Boston is former Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs hurler Marcus Stroman, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
“Even after his difficult second half, Stroman opted out of the final year and $21 million of his contract, giving the 32-year-old an opportunity to test the free-agent market,” Feinsand said. “A number of teams have interest in Stroman, but just as (Blake Snell), (Jordan Montgomery), and (Shōta Imanaga) had to wait for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to sign, Stroman will likely need to wait for some other dominos to fall before he lands a new deal.
“The (San Francisco Giants), (Los Angeles Angels), (Baltimore Orioles), and (Boston Red Sox) have all been connected with Stroman, which makes sense given their respective rotation needs. A reunion with the Cubs also can’t be ruled out, though that seems less likely than Stroman signing with a new club.”
Stroman is a two-time All-Star and logged a 3.95 ERA and 119-to-52 strikeout-to-walk ratio last season with Chicago. He began his big league career with Toronto and earned his first All-Star nod with the club and nabbed his second one last season with the Cubs.
He likely won’t cost as much as someone like Snell or Montgomery but still would be a solid pickup. If the Red Sox are prioritizing cost-savings, Stroman should be one of their top choices.
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