Could Red Sox Pursue Top Free Agent After Reported Garrett Crochet Trade?

Garrett Crochet reportedly is headed to Boston, and that probably means Corbin Burnes is headed elsewhere.

The Red Sox acquired Crochet in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox, as first reported by the Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams. Boston sent four prospects to Chicago in the deal, as cornemed by multiple reports.

It likely means the Red Sox are out on Burnes, who’s been drawing plenty of interest on the open market.

“I would say the Red Sox would be somewhat less likely to go for Corbin Burnes at this point,” the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported on MLB Network. “Because, look, they had several good starters, they wanted a lefty. They’ve now added a starter, not only a starter but an outstanding one. So I would say they would be less likely. But Burnes still has a market, still has multiple teams interested.”

Heyman reported the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants are two teams vying for Burnes.

It’s easy to make sense of Boston’s expected shift. The Red Sox addressed their biggest need by adding the left-hander Crochet, and while no team can ever have enough frontline starters, Boston might prefer to add pieces at other positions.

The Red Sox continue to be connected to free-agent slugger Teoscar Hernandez and Alex Bregman.