3 Starting Pitchers Red Sox Must Pursue to Begin Free Agency

2. Blake Snell

With the Red Sox’s starting rotation being right-hand dominant, they must prioritize getting a lefty this offseason.

The best left-handed starting pitcher on the open market is Blake Snell. Snell spent the 2024 season with the San Francisco Giants after signing a couple of weeks before the start of the regular season.

Snell inked a two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants, which included a player opt-out after this season. As expected, the veteran pitcher exercised his option on Nov. 1, making him a free agent.

The 31-year-old Snell pitched well, posting a 5-3 record and 3.12 ERA across 20 starts. Snell missed significant time this season with a strained left adductor in April and a strained left groin in June.

The southpaw recorded 145 strikeouts and 44 walks in 104 innings pitched. The highlight of Snell’s season was the no-hitter he threw against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2. The veteran starter had 11 strikeouts and three walks.

Before signing with the Giants this past season, Snell spent the previous three seasons with the San Diego Padres (29-25 record and 3.15 ERA). 

This past season with San Fran, Snell held opponents to a career-best .174 batting average at the plate and a 34.7 strikeout percentage. 

The left-handed starter also did a great job, keeping the ball inside the park, with a pristine 1.4 home run percentage. The last time Snell had an HR percentage under 2.0 was in 2016 with the Tampa Bay Rays (1.3%). Nonetheless, the four other AL East teams don’t want to see Snell back in the division.