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The Boston Red Sox lost out in the pursuit of another free agent on Tuesday, after coming up short in their attempt to sign Juan Soto two days earlier. Free agent pitcher Max Fried, a top Boston target, agreed to an eight-year, $218 million deal with the Red Sox arch-rival New York Yankees, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported.
But according to a later report by Red Sox beat writers Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo, Boston’s top brass may have preferred another free agent target anyway, and they are now reportedly “readying an offer” for the ace, a former National League Cy Young Award winner, who would immediately anchor the Red Sox starting rotation.
Price for Corbin Burnes Expected to Approach $300 Million
The price for 30-year-old former Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers righty Corbin Burnes has almost certainly gone up after the Fried signing. Previous estimates saw Burnes seeking a $200 million contract, but according to ESPN baseball analyst Jesse Rogers, the price tag to bring Burnes to Fenway Park — or anywhere he signs — “will likely come at a cost closer to $300 million than $200 million. Fried’s deal for $218 million for eight years sets the bar for Burnes who should blow by that number.”
Rogers also mentions that the San Francisco Giants are still considered to have the upper hand in the race to sign Burnes, who reportedly prefers to live and play baseball on the west coast. But as Nat Gordon, host of the Red Sox-centric Play Tessie podcast, put it, to beat the Giants in this contest, “the Red Sox have got to get uncomfortable here. It’s going to be painful. But who better than a guy with five straight top-8 Cy Young finishes to get uncomfortable for?”
Burnes has not only finished high in the Cy Young voting for the last five seasons, he won the award in 2021 when he went 11-5 with a league-leading 2.43 ERA for the Brewers.
Also on Tuesday, MLB insider and Spanish language broadcaster Mike Rodriguez posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account that his sources have told him that the Red Sox and Burnes are “very close to reaching an agreement, but the negotiation is very advanced.”
Rodriguez also reported that he’s been told signing Burnes is the Red Sox’ “number one priority.” But according to the Cotillo and McAdam report, the Red Sox must fend off competition from not only the Giants but the Toronto Blue Jays and even some “other clubs.”
Breslow: Red Sox must be willing to get ‘uncomfortable’
Boston Chief of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow did not comment directly on the pursuit of Burnes, but he acknowledged — according to Cotillo and McAdam — that starting pitching is at the top of the Red Sox priority list and that they were actively bidding against the Yankees for Fried.
“Can’t get into specifics but given our needs and what we intend to address this offseason, it’s safe to say we were, we are and we intend to remain on top rotation options,” Breslow told the two reporters, who quoted him in their MassLive report.
Breslow also stated that to land the top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher that they need, the club would need to get “uncomfortable.”
“We recognize that as we’re willing to improve our team, this can’t be about doing what feels perfectly comfortable,” Breslow said.
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Red Sox ‘Readying Offer’ For $300 Million Cy Young Ace, Now ‘Close to Agreement’