Red Sox-Bo Bichette Update As Free Agency Rumors Intensify

The Boston Red Sox struck in free agency on Wednesday.

After a few months of speculation and rumors, Boston came out of left field and signed former Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Ranger Suárez on Wednesday afternoon to a five-year, $130 million deal. Suárez entered the offseason as one of the top overall starting pitchers on the open market, right up there with guys like Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez. The deal is large, $130 million over five years, but in comparison to the seven-year, $210 million pact that Cease got, it looks like a steal.

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It took a while for Boston to get to this point. The Red Sox were the final team in baseball to hand out a big league deal this offseason. That doesn't mean Boston wasn't adding. The Red Sox acquired Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Johan Oviedo through trades. But free agency hadn't been kind to Boston yet, especially when it came to third baseman Alex Bregman, who left to join the Chicago Cubs.

Suárez is a big get, but the club arguably is one bat away from really contending still. If you have been in the camp pushing for the Red Sox to sign Bo Bichette, unfortunately, The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey made it sound like that is unlikely at this point.

"What about free agents Bo Bichette and Eugenio Suárez? Though a team source suggested the Red Sox would still be exploring free-agent bats, it seems less likely following the addition of Ranger Suárez. Bo Bichette is thought to still be seeking a $200 million deal, which would put the Red Sox in unprecedented payroll territory, and while Eugenio Suarez is projected by The Athletic to sign for three years, $69 million, he, too, is an imperfect fit with a 35 percent strikeout rate," McCaffrey wrote. "Given the beefed-up rotation, trading from it to add elsewhere seems to be the likeliest path to adding a bat at this point."

Until Bichette signs on the dotted line somewhere, he can't be ruled out completely. But this isn't a good sign for him and Boston. Plus, ESPN's Jeff Passan said on Sportsnet on Wednesday night that he believes the Philadelphia Phillies will be the highest bidder for Bichette. The markets are heating up. Mike Puma of the New York Post reported that the New York Mets have a four-year offer out there for Kyle Tucker. It's been reported that the Blue Jays have a long-term offer out there for Tucker. If his free agency domino falls, it's going to directly impact Bichette, meaning that time could very well be running out and the odds aren't in Boston's favor for Bichette.

All of this is to say, it sounds like Boston needs to look elsewhere.

More MLB: Alex Bregman Breaks Silence After Leaving Red Sox For Cubs