Who Red Sox Should Target After Blake Snell Joins Dodgers

The Red Sox are in the hunt for Juan Soto, but their biggest need is pitching.

Boston attempted to bolster the bullpen when they reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Aroldis Chapman. It also needs to add at least one frontline starter to lead the rotation.

Blake Snell no longer was an option after he agreed to a massive contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yusei Kikuchi, Frankie Montas and Matthew Boyd were other names who went off the board in free agency.

NESN’s Adam Pellerin and Lenny DiNardo discussed other pitchers the Red Sox could target on the “310 To Left” podcast. Pellerin brought up Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, and DiNardo also highlighted Garrett Crochet in the trade market. The former major league pitcher also pointed out that Jack Flaherty might be available after the Dodgers agreed to a deal with Snell.

These players might not come cheap, but DiNardo pointed out why it’s a risk worth taking.

“Talent’s talent. Money’s money,” DiNardo told Pellerin. “I get it. It’s a gamble, but the percentages kind of go in your favor when you’re signing so many talented arms and so many bats. (The Dodgers got) both of those in (Shohei) Ohtani. ‘Moneyball’s’ great. Good movie but at the end of the day you got to go get talent. Talent costs money, and I think that approach is what’s going to get the Red Sox back in contention, back in postseason baseball.”

The NESN Red Sox analyst noted that the Dodgers and New York Yankees’ big moves for Ohtani and Soto, respectively, paid off with World Series appearances. That wasn’t to say that homegrown talent doesn’t matter, but free agency spending does matter in MLB. And it seems like something Boston is cognisant of this offseason.

You can listen to more of the “310 To Left” podcast on YouTube or Spotify.