Bold shift: the Red Sox aren’t just waiting for pitching to fall from the sky—they already sit on a wealth of rotation depth, and teams are noticing.
Orlando, FL — In the baseball offseason, most clubs hunt for additional starting pitching through free agency or trades. The Red Sox, however, stand out as a team that’s already stacked in that department. Privately, they’ve signaled a willingness to add another arm if the right opportunity appears, but they presently own ten major-league-caliber starters on their staff.
“There’s a lot of attrition in a rotation, and depth matters,” explained Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “We’ll never have enough pitching, and we’ve managed to build substantial depth.”
This approach hasn’t gone unnoticed around the league. As the Winter Meetings began, Breslow disclosed that the Sox have been fielding numerous inquiries from other clubs curious about which pitchers might be available. “We’ve got pitching depth, based on the inbound calls we’ve received over the last few weeks,” Breslow said. “Teams recognize the value of controllable starting pitching. If there are chances to leverage that depth to strengthen other parts of the roster, we’re open to it.”
Right now, Boston appears to have four definite starters lined up for the Opening Day rotation: Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, and Johan Oviedo. Gray and Oviedo were added recently, further bolstering the team’s depth.
That quartet leaves room for up to six additional contenders to vie for starting roles: Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins, Patrick Sandoval, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, and Kyle Harrison.
Beyond the immediate options, the Sox also boast promising pitching prospects such as David Sandlin, Luis Perales, and Kyson Witherspoon. Yet what gives Boston an edge is the availability of proven major-league contenders who can contribute right away.
Industry insiders specifically note interest in Crawford, Dobbins, and Sandoval, likely because of their MLB experience. Crawford missed all of last season due to knee and wrist issues but is healthy again. Sandoval underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-2024 and is expected to be fully healthy by spring training. Dobbins posted a strong 13-game showing (11 starts) before missing the final stretch with knee surgery.
The Red Sox could deploy some of this pitching surplus to address other needs. Preliminary discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks reportedly centered on second baseman Ketel Marte, with the D-Backs known to covet young, controllable starting pitching in return.
An industry source indicates that Boston has also held talks with at least three other teams, reinforcing the idea that its abundance of starters makes it an attractive trade partner.
Whether the Sox will use surplus arms to chase a top-tier bat remains uncertain. Current momentum leans toward pursuing big free-agent hitting help, with names such as Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso frequently mentioned as high-priority targets at the Winter Meetings. There are also whispers about potential newcomers from Japan, including Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto, as avenues to bolster the lineup.
In short, Boston isn’t scrambling for pitching; the challenge is strategically deploying it to fortify the roster both on the mound and at the plate.
What do you think: should the Red Sox prioritize adding power bats via free agency, or should they lean into trades to maximize depth and upside? Share your thoughts in the comments.
