MLB Free Agency Rumors: Red Sox ‘Really Wanted’ This Star Player

Things appear to be trending in the right direction for the Red Sox on the Juan Soto front, but Boston was dealt a tough blow over the weekend.

The Red Sox, who desperately need starting pitching help, officially lost an appealing rotation option Saturday. Blake Snell, one of the best arms on the market, decided to stay on the West Coast and signed a five-year contract with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

While there still are multiple high-end starter options out there for Boston, the Snell development apparently was a tough pill to swallow for Craig Breslow and company.

“The Red Sox really wanted Snell, and this is a much better deal for Snell in the sense that he’s from Seattle. He’s used to the West Coast,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale told Dodger Nation. “I’m not sure how he would have fared in Boston.”

Concerns about Snell’s potential fit with the Red Sox probably were overstated. After all, the star southpaw pitched the first five seasons of his MLB career in the American League East and won a Cy Young Award with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. That said, latching on with the Dodgers made sense for a veteran who pitched in California the last four years.

With Snell situated in Chavez Ravine, the Red Sox reportedly turned their focus to Max Fried, another left-hander who’s projected to land a lucrative long-term deal in free agency.