Boston Red Sox: Five Free Agents to Target this Off Season

Sep 30, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann (27) delivers a pitch to an Atlanta Braves batter in the sixth inning of their game at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox have some solid middle-to-bottom of the rotation players on their roster, but their pitching staff is clearly missing an ace. There are going to be many possible ace options available in free agency this off season, but Jordan Zimmermann stands out to me as the best value.

Zimmermann is not a huge strikeout guy, but he has good stuff and is incredibly consistent and reliable. His 3.66 ERA this season is not incredibly encouraging, but his 3.00 ERA combined from the last four seasons suggests that 2015 could have just been a random down year.

Zimmermann has not been great in 2015, and it is certainly going to work against him in free agency. That signals a potential value in my opinion. Starting pitchers are getting astronomical contracts on the open market in recent years, and finding a potential ace for a fair price is not easy. That is exactly what Zimmermann brings.

The Red Sox could over-pay for a David Price or Johnny Cueto, or they could try to find the value in Zimmermann. He is unlikely to get anything more than a five-year deal worth $85-$90 million. Compared to the possible $200 million that Price is going to see, I would take my chances on Zimmermann.

He is a potential ace pitcher for this staff, and at only 29-years-old, Zimmermann still has plenty of project-ability left.

Next: Middle of the Order Hitter