Red Sox Rumors: Boston ‘Connected’ To Pitcher Marcus Stroman

The Boston Red Sox have already made one notable free agency signing this offseason, adding right-hander Lucas Giolito, and the team might not be done improving its rotation before Opening Day just yet.

With plenty of offseason still left, the Red Sox are linked to another right-handed veteran up for grabs in free agency: Marcus Stroman.

“The (San Francisco) Giants, (Los Angeles) Angels, (Baltimore) Orioles and Red Sox have all been connected with Stroman, which makes sense given their respective rotation needs,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand wrote Friday. “A reunion with the (Chicago) Cubs also can’t be ruled out, though that seems less likely than Stroman signing with a new club.”

Stroman, 32, spent last season with the Cubs, going 10-9 with a 3.95 ERA amid his second-career All-Star campaign. When the season ended, Stroman exercised his opt-out option with $21 million remaining on his deal with the Cubs to test out the market once again.

Pitching, above all else, is Boston’s biggest must-have after its third last-place finish in the American League East in the past four seasons.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora leaned on arms across the roster last season to help eat up the early innings with a handful of starters piled up on the injured list at various points. Boston also went on to finish 21st in ERA (4.52) and 23rd in total innings pitched (1,143) among all teams in baseball.

Stroman, now one of the best available pitchers left on the market, could fit into a Red Sox rotation in great need of consistency, which he gave the Cubs in 2023. The nine-year veteran also has plenty of experience with most of that time (six years) being spent with the Toronto Blue Jays — an AL East rival.