The Boston Red Sox are a team that is looking to rebound after yet another last place finish.
Though they spent most of the season in postseason contention, a September slide sunk them to the bottom of the American League East, and they finished with a record of 78-84.
With a new voice leading their front office, the Red Sox look ready to make a splash or two in free agency and crawl back into postseason contention in 2024.
With that in mind, here are three potential fits in free agency for the Red Sox who might be on their holiday wish list.
3. Jordan Montgomery is on the Red Sox wish list
Montgomery is a name that the Red Sox have been linked to over the past several weeks.
After an incredible postseason with the Texas Rangers, the World Series champion is now one of the top starting pitchers available on the free agent market. In six appearances, five of which were starts, Montgomery went 3-1 with an ERA of 2.90.
During the Rangers run to the World Series, Montgomery pitched alongside former Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Much like Eovaldi, Montgomery is evolving into one of the game's best postseason pitchers and also appears to be turning himself into a true No. 1 starter.
This is something the Red Sox desperately need if they want to bounce back into contention in 2024.
They already have Brayan Bello at the top of their rotation, but don't have anybody to put next to him to form a solid one-two punch. But Montgomery could be the veteran workhorse that the Red Sox need as they search the market for starting pitchers.
Adding him would also be a nice way to stick it to their hated rivals in the New York Yankees. Montgomery pitched with New York from 2017-22.
2. Lucas Giolito is on the Red Sox wish list
Because of yet another difficult season, Giolito may not be at the top of every team's wish list. However, Boston could benefit from having him around.
Giolito is a proven veteran pitcher who also is well-known for his strikeout prowess. He fanned 204 batters during the regular season, which is an even higher total than that of Aaron Nola. He also averaged 10 punchouts per nine innings.
While not necessarily an ace, Giolito is somebody that can be considered a No. 2 starter if he can bounce back from a couple of down seasons.
He bounced between three teams this season, beginning the season with the Chicago White Sox before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels. He was later put on waivers and claimed by the Cleveland Guardians.
Still, even after a whirlwind season, Giolito is a reliable and steady starter who can eat innings and slot into the rotation next to Bello. One concern is the amount of home runs Giolito surrendered during the 2023 season.
He allowed 41 home runs, which is three behind his former White Sox teammate Lance Lynn, who allowed the most home runs of any pitcher in all of baseball.
1. Dylan Cease is the ultimate get for the Red Sox
As the offseason progresses, it appears more and more likely that the Chicago White Sox will trade Dylan Cease. Several teams are in the mix for the right-hander.
The Red Sox have not been listed as one of them, but they could certainly benefit from making a deal with the White Sox to acquire him. Boston desperately needs frontline starting pitching. Chris Sale is far from the ace-caliber pitcher he used to be.
Cease on the other hand, would give them their ace in the hole. He endured a difficult season in 2023, posting an ERA of 4.58 in his 33 starts with a record of 7-9. However, he still managed to log 177 innings and strike out 214 batters during the regular season. He even finished second in the Cy Young voting last season behind Justin Verlander.
At 27, Cease is still relatively young and clearly has a bright future ahead of him. The Red Sox have not reached the postseason since 2021, and much of it has to do with their lack of starting pitching.
Acquiring Cease would change the entire outlook of the team as they try to recover from two consecutive last-place finishes.
