The Pink Sox got here up brief in free agent pursuits of Juan Soto and Max Fried, however they made their first main strike of the offseason after they pried Garrett Crochet from the White Sox in alternate for a package deal of 4 prospects headlined by catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery — their high picks in every of the previous two drafts. Boston now controls Crochet by means of the 2026 season, making him a multi-year contributor alongside Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and maybe Lucas Giolito — relying on his 2026 choice. The Sox, nonetheless, don’t plan to cease there. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow stated in an look on MLB Community Radio on SiriusXM right this moment that he’s nonetheless available in the market for extra rotation assist (audio hyperlink).
“Groups that win within the postseason, they pitch,” stated Breslow. “The flexibility to construct out each high quality and depth in our rotation is one thing that’s going to serve us properly over the season. I feel we noticed what occurred final 12 months, when later within the season, our bullpen acquired drained and we had a pair unlucky accidents with our rotation. We didn’t fairly have the depth constructed as much as step in and exchange them. So, that’s a spotlight of ours. We’ll proceed to be aggressive in pursuing beginning pitching, however we’ll additionally begin to shift our focus to persevering with to deal with the bullpen.”
Breslow’s feedback align with current reporting on the Sox’ offseason efforts. Within the week since touchdown Crochet, they’ve been related to commerce candidate Luis Castillo and to free brokers John Means and Jack Flaherty. They had been beforehand reported to be readying a suggestion to Corbin Burnes. Means, coming off early June UCL surgical procedure, could be a pure depth addition with a watch towards the late levels of the 2025 season. Burnes, Flaherty or Castillo, clearly, would symbolize a possible main improve to a rotation already together with Crochet, Giolito, Houck, Bello and Crawford.
Giolito is recovering from his personal UCL process and won’t be prepared for Opening Day. Even when the Sox get a comparatively wholesome season out of him, there’s motive to suppose they may use one other starter. Accidents on the beginning employees are virtually inevitable, initially. Past that, Giolito’s workload will in all probability be managed in his first post-surgery season. Crochet’s 2024 season was his first full, wholesome season as a starter. One other established arm would permit Boston to ease Giolito into the combo and supply some additional insurance coverage ought to one of many different starters get damage.
Addressing the pitching employees has been simply one in every of a number of said objectives all through the winter. The deal with Soto and the rotation clearly took precedence, however Breslow remains to be aware of wants inside the lineup. “Additionally, we’ll check out making an attempt to stability out the lineup a bit bit and probably try this by way of the addition of a right-handed bat,” he added throughout his radio hit.
Definitely, the pursuit of balancing the lineup and upgrading the pitching employees could possibly be intertwined. Boston has explored commerce potentialities involving each Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu this offseason. Shifting a left-handed bat may clear a path for the Sox to signal a righty-swinging outfielder like Teoscar Hernandez (in the event that they deal from the outfield) or to maneuver Rafael Devers throughout the diamond to first base (in the event that they transfer Casas). That, in flip, may release the likelihood to commerce for Nolan Arenado or to signal Alex Bregman in free company. Boston may take the extra direct method of including a right-handed bat to play second base whereas ready on the event/arrival of high prospect Kristian Campbell (who can play a number of positions anyhow).
There are numerous avenues for Breslow & Co. to discover, however the second-year baseball operations chief’s feedback Tuesday solely reinforce that the Crochet acquisition was the primary of what needs to be a number of notable offseason transactions.
