Top Pitcher On Market Could Become Available To Red Sox After Latest Report
Will the Boston Red Sox make one of the most notable acquisitions possible in free agency?
It appears that the best pitcher on the planet will be up for grabs this offseason, and Boston has plenty of money to spend after freeing up $120 million following a disappointing last-place finish.
As the Red Sox tend to do after a down year, the team will reload, not rebuild. There's a chance that New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom could be a part of the revamped roster.
"The Mets are prioritizing (Edwin) Diaz and Brandon Nimmo above all other internal free agents, and expect to maintain open and consistent communication with Diaz once free agency begins the morning after the conclusion of the World Series," SNY's Andy Martino wrote Tuesday.
Martino did clarify in a tweet that the Mets were not "giving up" on deGrom, but the report certainly makes it seem as though they aren't going to make him an offer he can't refuse.
Most fans would fear the idea of bringing deGrom aboard after a season in which right-hander Nick Pivetta was the lone Red Sox starter to make it the full 162-game slate without landing on the injured list.
Recency bias has altered the perception of deGrom, who has not been as injured as you might believe. The 34-year-old hurler averaged 30 starts per season from 2015 to 2019 (his first five full seasons in the big leagues), and made all 12 starts in the shortened 2020 season. Injuries have limited deGrom to just 26 starts in the last two seasons, but his track record is better than most imagined.
Talent-wise, he'll go down as one of the best to ever throw a baseball. In deGrom's last two injury-prone seasons combined he's gone 12-6 with a 1.90 ERA and a nearly unbelievable 248-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 156 1/3 innings.
In a recent interview with "Inside The Red Sox," Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez said he hopes Boston will add a durable frontline starter to ease Chris Sale back into his role.
The idea of deGrom being durable admittedly is a stretch, but I'd imagine Martinez would make an expectation for a player of deGrom's caliber, not that it's his call anyway.
The flame-throwing righty will fetch a sizeable contract in free agency, but his recent stints on the injured list will cap his payday.
It might be worth the risk for the Red Sox to go all-in on an all-time talent. They'll still have money to allocate elsewhere should they go this route.
More MLB: Pedro Martinez Details What Red Sox's Top Offseason Priority Should Be
