Red Sox Reportedly Showing Interest In All-Star Starter Among Others
It appears that the Boston Red Sox will be proactive in the pitching market this offseason.
Starting on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET, all Major League Baseball free agents are free to sign wherever they please. It appears that the Red Sox will not wait around for their top targets to fall off the board.
While Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is gaining a reputation as an executive that prefers the diamond in the rough candidate over the reliable but expensive options, he's reportedly interested in one of the top arms on the market.
"(Los Angeles) Angels and Red Sox among teams showing interest in free agent left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson, who could receive Qualifying Offer today from (Los Angeles) Dodgers," MLB Network's Jon Morosi tweeted Thursday.
Anderson was an unsung hero of sorts for the Dodgers due to the sheer amount of star power on that loaded roster. The 32-year-old posted a 15-5 record, 2.57 ERA, 138-to-34 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .221 batting average against in 178 2/3 innings across 30 appearances (28 starts).
The southpaw's age and lack of pedigree (career 4.16 ERA) will be somewhat of a concern, but he'd be a quality middle-of-the-rotation arm for Boston with an ace-like upside he showcased last season.
Anderson isn't the only arm on the radar for the Red Sox, though he's by far the most notable of all names floated on Thursday.
"Red Sox are digging around in the pitching market," MassLive's Chris Cotillo tweeted Thursday. "Already hearing them linked to Andrew Heaney, Seth Lugo, others."
Heaney, 31, has not been a very effective pitcher over the bulk of his career, but like Anderson, found his best success with the Dodgers last season. The lefty went 4-4 with a 3.10 ERA, an incredible 110-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio and .214 batting average against in 72 2/3 innings of work across 16 appearances (14 starts).
Lugo, 32, posted a 3.60 ERA, 69-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .236 batting average against in 65 innings for the New York Mets across 62 outings.
Heaney can be seen as a depth option who gained upside last season while Lugo is more of a reliable arm out of the bullpen that can serve multiple roles. The right-hander has a 3.48 career ERA, has made 38 career starts and filled just about every role possible in the bullpen over his seven-year career, all with the Mets.
The gut reaction to Heaney for most fans immediately is negative, but this list of names, like it or not, are far better than some of the players the Red Sox rolled out last year.
Anderson would be a fantastic addition to the rotation. The acquisition of Lugo would be a strong start to rebuilding the bullpen, and Heaney is someone I'm lukewarm on, but I admittedly felt the same way about Michael Wacha a year ago.
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