BOSTON — Pedro Martinez anchored the Red Sox rotation for eight seasons and ended his tenure in style with a World Series title in 2004.
Boston won three more championships after that in 2007, 2013 and 2018. All of those teams had a bonafide ace at the top of the rotation in Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Chris Sale, respectively. In order to return to postseason glory, the Red Sox need to find their next ace to lead a new era. Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford offer a young foundation for the rotation. Now, that group needs a leader.
Free agents in Corbin Burnes and Max Fried headline the market this winter while Garrett Crochet is the crown jewel on the trade market. The Red Sox should be in on that tier, at least if it was up to Martinez.
“All of them that are free agents,” Martinez told NESN.com Friday at his foundation’s gala in Boston. “Burnes, I would have to say Max Fried. All of those guys that are out there. Walker Buehler, all of them. I’m a big fan of pitchers. I hope I can get all the help we can get.”
The MLB Winter Meetings commence in a month in Dallas where teams could begin to make splashes, including the Red Sox.
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Featured image via Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images
