Red Sox Reportedly May Look To Japanese Ace To Fix Depleted Starting Rotation
The Boston Red Sox won't leave any stone unturned this off-season.
After a disappointing 78-84 finish last season, Boston will have to be busy on all fronts to put together a competitive team for the 2023 MLB season.
While it's true that the Red Sox dealt with a wide range of injuries in 2022, there still are plenty of ways the team can improve the roster heading into next season. One way that's certainly going to take much of their focus is the starting rotation.
With Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha, and Rich Hill heading to free agency, there are holes to fill in the rotation. Chris Sale seems like he's going to return to the mound and Boston still has Nick Pivetta and younger Brayan Bello likely penciled into the rotation. James Paxton has a player option and must decide by Thursday if he will remain with the squad, but he hasn't pitched in more than five games in a season since 2019 so even if he does stay, the Red Sox don't know what they will get.
There are plenty of options on the open market available that Boston could consider. They could swing for the fences and try to lure a future Hall of Famer like Jacob deGrom to town, or they could opt for a cheaper and more familiar option like Martín Pérez. There are plenty of ways Boston could look to improve.
One other option floated out by the Boston Globe's Alex Speier is the team could consider signing Japanese star right-hander Kodai Senga. The 29-year-old has spent his 11-year professional career in Japan and over that span has tallied 104 wins to just 54 losses while sporting a career 2.42 ERA.
Senga can begin speaking with MLB teams starting Wednesday and it sounds like Boston will at least attempt to have a conversation.
“Without getting into any specific player, (Japan) is a market where we’re very engaged,” Bloom said as transcribed by Speier. “(Senga's) super-talented, athletic, power stuff. Just a really impressive arm.”
If Boston were to sign Senga, he immediately would improve to the squad's rotation. The Red Sox finished the 2022 season with the 22nd best starting rotation ERA at an unimpressive 4.49. The Red Sox need to improve their pitching and Senga likely wouldn't be the most expensive option, but has unbelievable upside.
More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Could Make Major Splash To Upgrade Subpar Catcher Depth
