Red Sox reportedly ‘unlikely’ to target Brewers’ Corbin Burnes in trade
The Red Sox' search for a starting pitcher continues after missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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If the Red Sox are searching for a top-end starting pitcher, it appears they’re cornering themselves to the remaining free-agent pitchers.
The Red Sox are “unlikely” to target Corbin Burnes in a trade after missing out on signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, The Boston Globe‘s Alex Speier reported Friday. The Brewers’ ace is entering his final season of team control and recently indicated that he’ll test the open market.
“Being in my shoes, being a year away from [free agency], I think if a trade-and-extension type of deal came up — obviously, every guy that gets this close to free agency wants to test the market to see what your true dollar amount is, see what teams really are in on you,” Burnes said on “Foul Territory” on Wednesday. “It would have to be something that would just absolutely blow you away to get you away from testing the free agent market and being able to choose where you want to go. I think that’s one thing every player in their career wants to get to.”
Burnes is arguably the top available pitcher remaining between the free-agent and trade markets. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is still contemplating whether to move the 2021 NL Cy Young winner though, The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal recently reported.
There are a few other options on the trade market if the Red Sox want to improve the top of their rotation. But it might be difficult to find a fit. The Guardians have reportedly shopped Shane Bieber, but he’s also entering the final year of team control.
White Sox ace Dylan Cease has also been heavily rumored to be moved this offseason. However, the Red Sox haven’t been linked too much to the 27-year-old righty, who has two years left of team control. The Braves and Orioles are the “current favorites” to land the runner-up for the 2022 Al Cy Young Award, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported.
Marlins starters Jesús Luzardo and Edward Cabrera have also been among the starting pitchers rumored to possibly get traded this offseason as they “continue to draw interest,” Rosenthal also reported. But Miami is dealing with multiple injuries to their starting rotation with Sandy Alcántara and Eury Peréz likely to miss all of the season (Alcántara) or be on an innings limit (Peréz).
The Dodgers already swooped up Tyler Glasnow from the Rays, taking away one of the top pitchers on the trade market.
In terms of free-agent options, there are still a handful of arms available that can be top-of-the-rotaion caliber. For the Red Sox, Jordan Montgomery is the most notable among them.
Several reports have indicated throughout the offseason that the Red Sox are in on the lefty, who just won the World Series with the Rangers and is spending his offseason in Boston due to his wife’s residency at Beth Israel Deaconess. The Yankees and Rangers are both reportedly interested in Montgomery, though. New York was among the top suitors for Yamamoto as they were reportedly one of the teams to offer the Japanese phenom $300 million.
Beyond Montgomery, 2023 NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell is the other co-headliner in the free-agent pitching market. But there have been rumors that Snell would like to pitch in his native Seattle, which is obviously a long way from Boston.
Lucas Giolito is the other free-agent pitcher that the Red Sox have been most linked to this offseason, reportedly showing interest in the righty in recent weeks. Giolito was one of the American League’s top starting pitchers between 2019-21, but has struggled over the last two years. He went 8-15 with a 4.88 ERA, splitting time between the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians. However, he made 33 starts, which would give the Red Sox an arm they could at least depend on to make starts.
The Red Sox are also one of the several teams that have shown interest in Japanese starting pitcher Shota Imanaga, who could earn $20 million per year, MLB Network’s Jon Paul Morosi reported. Imanaga, a 30-year-old lefty, has until Jan. 11 to sign with an MLB team after being posted.
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