MLB Insider Floats Free-Agent Target For Pitching-Needy Red Sox

Could the 2023 National League Cy Young Award winner headline the Red Sox's starting rotation next season and beyond?

That's an idea Mark Feinsand kicked around in an MLB.com column published Monday. The veteran big league insider went through all 30 teams in the league and suggested a free-agent target, with Blake Snell serving as the pick for Boston.

"Boston’s 4.68 ERA from its starters ranked 12th in the AL, as all eight pitchers who made at least nine starts registered an ERA above 4.00," Feinsand wrote. "The 2024 rotation features just one lefty -- the oft-injured Chris Sale -- so bringing in the two-time Cy Young Award winner would benefit the Red Sox."

With Aaron Nola staying put in Philadelphia, the Red Sox might have a stronger interest in Snell now that the starting pitching market in free agency is a bit more shallow. Snell, who also won the American League Cy Young Award in 2018, also has significant AL East experience after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays.

However, the star southpaw might not occupy the top spot on Boston's wish list. The Red Sox reportedly prefer Jordan Montgomery, another excellent lefty who is coming off a very impressive World Series run with the Texas Rangers.

But regardless of which starter Craig Breslow and company covets most, it's imperative for Boston to be among the most active players in the pitching market this offseason. The Red Sox can't afford to enter the campaign without a reliable frontline starter on the roster.