Red Sox reportedly 'bound' to make big move this offseason

As the Red Sox are coming off two consecutive last-place finishes, it’s clear that they need some sort of spark to keep up with their competitive rivals in the AL East.

It seems like the team knows it, too. In a stream for Bleacher Report, The New York Post’s and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman indicated that the Red Sox are looking to do something major this offseason as he discussed the team’s chances of signing Shohei Ohtani. 

“The Red Sox, I’ve heard some buzz about them, they were the original team of Babe Ruth, who’s been compared to Ohtani,” Heyman said. “They need to do something big. People tell me that Boston is ‘bound and determined to do something big.’ Whether it’s Ohtani, or something else, they need to do something.”

The Red Sox have been linked to Ohtani a handful of times already this offseason. One executive reportedly believes that Ohtani might be interested in playing Boston due to his friendship with New Balance CEO Jim Davis (Ohtani is a New Balance athlete) while he also “loves” Boston and has a “fondness” for Fenway Park.

But, of course, the Red Sox have heavy competition in trying to get him if they’re seriously pursuing him. The Dodgers have long been rumored to be the favorite to land Ohtani for a variety of reasons, but mostly due to their location on the West Coat and their ability to compete. Other teams, like the Cubs and Rangers, have seemingly been more linked to Ohtani than the Red Sox.

The Red Sox’ betting odds to land Ohtani have taken a bit of a dip as well, going from +1000 to +1500 to sign him on DraftKings Sportsbook. 

There are still many other big fish in the pond though. The Red Sox have also been heavily linked to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old pitcher from Japan has been viewed as the second-best free-agent available this offseason and will likely get a contract north of $200 million. Masataka Yoshida’s presence in Boston has been viewed as a possible edge for the Red Sox as Yamamoto reportedly would be OK with playing with a fellow Japanese star and wants to play in a large market.

In terms of trades, Juan Soto and Dylan Cease seem to be the two best players most heavily rumored to be traded. But as trade talks surrounding the young All-Star slugger and the 27-year-old standout pitcher appear to be heating up, there haven’t been many reports that suggest the Red Sox are in contention to land either.

But there are still several other players available in the free-agent market who have high-end upside, particularly on the pitching side. Blake Snell might be the most notable pitcher on the market (outside of Ohtani). Rangers lefty Jordan Montgomery has already been linked to the Red Sox on numerous occasions as they’ve already reportedly had discussions with his agent.

Heyman believes that Montgomery is in play for the Red Sox, noting that they’ve checked in on him, and that he’s “not going to rule out” a possible Eduardo Rodriguez reunion. 

New Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has already indicated this season that he’d like to add possibly two established starting pitchers to the rotation. If he’s still willing to do that, there are certainly plenty of options available for the Red Sox to do so, or to do “something big.”