Latest Red Sox Free Agent Rumor is Big Disappointment

The Boston Red Sox entered the MLB offseason with the starting rotation being one of their most pressing needs. The unit left much to be desired throughout the 2023 campaign, finishing fourth-worst when it came to ERA and home runs allowed in the American League.

Naturally, Red Sox fans hoped that the team would pursue big-name pitchers during Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow's first offseason with the franchise. After all, names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Clayton Kershaw are still available free agents who could help turn the starting rotation around.

Unfortunately, any Boston fan hoping to see one of the above names in a Red Sox jersey will likely be disappointed by the club's latest free agency rumors.

Red Sox Offseason Rumors

Boston Globe's Alex Speier reports that the Red Sox are now pursuing free-agent pitcher Jack Flaherty. A former 2014 first-round pick, Flaherty spent six-and-a-half seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles partway through the 2023 schedule.

Speier did add that the Red Sox have made "multi-year offers" to both Yamamoto and former San Diego Padres right Seth Lugo, but that doesn't change the fact that their pursuit of Flaherty is disappointing.

While Flaherty has shown promise in the past, he isn't the type of arm that can fix Boston's rotation on his own. He's also coming off a down year that saw him go 8-9 with a career-worst 4.99 ERA across 29 appearances (27 starts) between the Phillies and Orioles.

Even Lugo would be a letdown if he ends up being the Red Sox's big signing. Last season was only his second campaign as a full-time starter, going 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.203 WHIP over 26 starts. Those aren't the worst numbers, but they hardly paint him as someone who could be a game-changer in Beantown.

Other names that Boston has been linked to this offseason include Lucas Giolito, Jordan Montgomery, Shota Imanaga, and Blake Snell. While someone like Imanaga or Snell would be great additions, it feels like the fanbase is being set up for disappointment again.

A big part of the Red Sox faithful's disappointment stems from their hopes being set on Yamamoto after being linked to the Japanese star for months. Much to their dismay, though, nothing is guaranteed in sports.

Speier mentioned that he can't even confirm if Boston has met with the 25-year-old after it was reported earlier this week that a meeting would take place in the "coming days." If the Red Sox fall out of the race for Yamamoto's services too, it's safe to say even more fans will lose faith in the franchise's ability to attract big-name free agents.

At this point, it looks like Breslow is casting as many lines into the ocean as possible in hopes that at least one big fish will bite. Hopefully, he strikes a deal with at least one worthwhile target. Otherwise, his tenure might start on the wrong foot.

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