Red Sox Expected To Acquire $199.9M Starter, Yankees Reliever This Winter

The Boston Red Sox are aggressively seeking to bolster their pitching staff this offseason, focusing on acquiring a reliable No. 2 starter to complement ace Garrett Crochet, whose performance was pivotal in their return to the postseason. Potential trade targets include high-profile pitchers like Hunter Greene, Luis Castillo, Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, Dylan Cease, Michael King, and MacKenzie Gore, though such deals would likely require giving up key players or top prospects. Alternatively, the Red Sox may pursue free agent signings to maintain their assets, with Houston Astros' Framber Valdez highlighted as a strong candidate to stabilize the rotation. In addition to starting pitching, the Red Sox are expected to strengthen their bullpen by signing two cost-effective arms, possibly including right-handed reliever Luke Weaver from rival New York Yankees, who had a solid 3.62 ERA over 64 games last season. The team's need for pitching depth became clear following injuries to key starters and a second-half slump, underscoring front office priorities. Despite their early playoff exit at the hands of the Yankees, Boston's management, led by Craig Breslow, is committed to aggressively improving their pitching to contend seriously in 2026.