Garrett Crochet Trade, Free Agency Could Put Red Sox in Contention amid MLB Rumors

Jonathan Daniel/ It's been a while since the Boston Red Sox played a serious role in the MLB's World Series race.

It's also been a minute since they were one of baseball's biggest, most aggressive spenders.

Think those two things might be connected? If they are, there could be good news in Beantown, where the franchise has been sending the message that it's finally ready to spend again:

The Red Sox, who haven't had a winning record since 2021 (their last time making the playoffs), head into this offseason with a laundry list of wants and needs.

Finding a clear-cut ace to lead this rotation feels like a must. Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford all made progress this past season, but none resembled a top-of-the-rotation star.

Houck was unhittable in the first half (2.54 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP) and...well, hittable in the second (4.23 with a 1.34). Crawford and Bello both posted ERAs north of 4.30.

Boston needs a difference-maker to pace this staff, and there are options available. Should the Red Sox want to get busy in free agency, they could make a furious push for former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, two-time Cy Young recipient Blake Snell or two-time All-Star Max Fried.

They could also look to the trade market where Garrett Crochet could be on the move after a breakout 2024 season.

ESPN's Buster Olney called it "a slam dunk" that the 25-year-old will be traded, and he named the Red Sox as one of "two teams I'm watching," via Boston Red Sox on SI .

One insider believes the Red Sox have a good shot to land Crochet, but that there's also an intimidating big-market team standing in their way. Buster Olney of ESPN named the Red Sox and New York Mets as the two favorites to land him in a blockbuster deal on the podcast.

Crochet's current employer, the Chicago White Sox, just had a historically atrocious season and needs help all over the roster.

A Crochet trade feels like one of the most obvious places to go for those upgrades. His injury history is long and terrifying, but his talent is terrific. He stayed healthy in 2024 and posted a 2.69 FIP with 12.9 punchouts per nine innings and a colossal 6.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Once Boston addresses the top of its rotation, it could also focus on the back end. Even adding a depth piece or two to the mix could go a long way toward transforming this staff from a solid group to a special one.

The Sox also need to give some attention to their bullpen. They had the second-most blown saves this past season, and they're now watching Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin head into free agency. They figure to be among the top suitors for Tanner Scott, who's arguably the best reliever on the market.

Their lineup is in better shape, but they could still give it some attention—or even a massive addition.

While they certainly aren't driving the Juan Soto sweepstakes, they're still a part of it. Jon Heyman of mentioned Boston among the seven teams "known" to have called on Soto so far, though the team only ranked fifth in terms of likelihood to get him.

That said, Heyman echoed the earlier sentiment about how the Red Sox "are quietly laying the groundwork to begin spending and competing again."

The Red Sox don't an outfielder or another left-handed hitter, but this is Juan freakin' Soto. If you can ever add someone of this ilk, you do it and figure out the fit stuff later.

If Soto doesn't sign in Boston, the Red Sox could scour the market for an impact hitter who bats from the right side. Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman and Teoscar Hernández, whom MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported "is drawing interest" from Boston, are among the high-end options worth considering.

The Red Sox have alternatives behind those options. They could get aggressive in trades, free agency or a combination of the two. The key is doing something, because despite having a few relatively quiet offseasons of late, this team may not be far off from putting it all together and rejoining the World Series race.