Michael King, Merrill Kelly Among Value Free Agent Fits For Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a big-market Major League Baseball team. Plus, they traded away slugger Rafael Devers and his mammoth contract. Realistically, the Red Sox could afford to sign any player and should have no issue.

Baseball is a business, though, and it doesn't seem like the Red Sox are going to just open the checkbook, like the Toronto Blue Jays seemingly are doing. MassLive.com's Sean McAdam reported on Sunday that the Red Sox are alright with going over the first Competitive Balance Tax threshold of $244 million, but there's a "reluctance" against "bigger deficits."

Boston is clearly pursuing a big bat and has been heavily tied to Alex Bregman, Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso. If the Red Sox can land any of those three, it's hard to believe, based on McAdam's reporting that they would heavily spend elsewhere.

With Sonny Gray in town and hopefully a slugger coming, what else should Boston consider? It wouldn't hurt to add a second starter and there are some value hurlers out there that could really help.

Here are three potential fits:

Boston has options

Michael King - Most Recent Team: San Diego Padres

King's current projected market value is just over $91 million across four seasons. That doesn't sound like much of a value, but King has ace-level upside. In 2025, he had a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts. In 2024, he had a 2.95 ERA in 31 appearances. In comparison, Dylan Cease got $210 million from Toronto after logging a 4.55 ERA in 32 starts in 2025 as a teammate to King. In 2024, he had a 3.47 ERA in 33 starts. King is just a few months older than Cease and there's an argument that King can put comparable -- if not better -- numbers when healthy. This type of deal would give Boston a clear No. 2 starter at a discount.

Merrill Kelly - Most Recent Team: Texas Rangers

Kelly would be a clear-cut No. 2, but instead probably a No. 4 behind Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, and Brayan Bello with big upside. He's 37 years old and had a 3.52 ERA in 32 starts in 2025. He has a career 3.77 ERA in seven seasons. His projected market value is just over $15 million across one season from Spotrac.

Lucas Giolito - Most Recent Team: Boston Red Sox

A reunion still makes a lot of sense. Giolito shined in 2025 for Boston. He was a big reason why the club was able to make it to the playoffs in general. Boston fans know what he can do. His projected market value is just over $61 million across three seasons. He's worth it.

More MLB: Red Sox Chasing Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso As 'Primary Targets'