MLB Rumors: Red Sox’s ‘Top Priority’ Not Changing Anytime Soon

The Boston Red Sox don’t intend to abandon their offseason plan.

Boston expressed interest in signing free agent relief pitcher Tanner Scott before the Los Angeles Dodgers swooped in with a four-year, $72 million offer to sign the left-hander Sunday. While the Red Sox weren’t able to land the 2024 All-Star, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow isn’t going to shift focus from what the organization planned on achieving before the offseason started — sticking by a target that dates back to last season’s trade deadline.

“Sources continue to indicate that adding a right-handed bat continues to be Boston’s top priority with bullpen help being looked at as a secondary need,” MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported Sunday. “Free agent Alex Bregman and (St. Louis) Cardinals trade candidate Nolan Arenado remain the two big-name — yet imperfect — fits the Red Sox have considered.”

For the second straight offseason, the Red Sox were linked to two-time All-Star Teoscar Hernández, a right-handed bat fresh off hitting a career-best 33 home runs, before he re-signed with the Dodgers. Boston also lost its home run leader in Tyler O’Neill when the 29-year-old joined the Baltimore Orioles in free agency, leaving the franchise to consider Bregman and Arenado.

The Red Sox have strongly emphasized the improvement of their pitching depth, adding relief pitchers Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman along with starters Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval. However, the addition of Crochet, which required four prospects in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, demonstrated the front office’s willingness to go to whatever lengths to land a crucial piece.

Now, with over nine weeks left until Opening Day and less than four weeks until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, Breslow is working against the clock to land the team’s desired right-handed bat.