Pitchers Linked To Red Sox Top MLB’s New List Of Best Free Agent Starters
Although the Boston Red Sox might be leaning towards the trade market when it comes to acquiring another starting pitcher, a new free agent list just dropped that is interesting to think about.
The official MLB X account identified its “Pitcher Power Rankings” for available free agent starters and listed the top 10 guys, with Framber Valdez and Dylan Cease landing the highest two spots.
On Monday, The Athletic‘s Jen McCaffrey listed Valdez, Cease, and Tatsuya Imai (No. 4 on the MLB list) as three arms the Red Sox could be targeting this offseason.
The Red Sox kicked off their offseason with a splash on Tuesday, landing right-hander Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals. As whispers of further upgrades circulate, Valdez, in particular, remains a a tantalizing option to pair with Gray and Garrett Crochet for a formidable front of the staff.
Valdez, a two-time All-Star and consistent workhorse for the Houston Astros, was 13-11 and posted a 3.66 ERA across 192 innings last season, marking his fifth straight year of double-digit wins. His ground-ball inducing style would thrive at Fenway Park, where he could provide the innings-eating reliability Boston craves.
Something in the realm of a six-year, $170 million deal could be in play for Valdez on the market.
Yet, after the Gray deal (which came with a $21 million expense for 2026), Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow might be pivoting toward the trade market for additional starters.
At the end of the day, Valdez represents an ideal free-agency coup and No. 2 starter, and it’ll be fascinating to see how Breslow navigates the rest of the offseason when it comes to Boston’s rotation.