Red Sox's Best Starting Pitching Option Could Be Projected $154M Rookie

It's often said that adding free agents is more desirable than trades, because all it costs is money.

While it's never wise to oversimplify, as the Boston Red Sox proved last year when they traded for Garrett Crochet, there's a nice, simple logic to the idea of signing a free-agent pitcher to be the No. 2 behind Crochet this year.

However, many have noted that almost every free agent in this year's class seems fraught with risk. That's why the Red Sox's best bet may be to step into the world of complete unknowns.

Red Sox linked to Tatsuya Imai in free agency

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

On Monday, Jim Bowden of The Athletic named the Red Sox among the potential fits for Japanese right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who he ranked as the third-best pitcher and ninth-best overall player in this winter's class of free agents.

"Imai is an undersized (listed at 5-foot-11, 154 pounds) right-handed starter for the Saitama Seibu Lions who is expected to be posted this offseason," Bowden wrote. "A two-time All-Star in Japan, Imai posted a 1.92 ERA in 163 2/3 innings this season. Despite his slight build, he’s been durable and profiles in MLB as a mid-rotation innings-eater who can keep hitters guessing.

"Best team fits: (New York) Mets, (San Francisco) Giants, Red Sox, (Chicago) Cubs, (Baltimore) Orioles, (Houston) Astros, (San Diego) Padres. Contract prediction: 7-years, $154 million."

Imai is 29, the same age as free agents Dylan Cease and Ranger Suárez, plus potential trade targets Freddy Peralta and Joe Ryan. But he's got less mileage on him than the other free agents, and the contract he'll get will almost certainly be less than what Peralta and Ryan will eventually command.

Plus, the Red Sox could keep all of their top prospects, including left-handed pitchers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle, who could join Imai in the mix for the No. 2 slot someday.

Being a baseball executive is hard because Imai might very well be the best option for the Red Sox, based on all the reasons we just enumerated. But he's also never thrown a major league pitch, which inherently makes him one of the biggest risks on the board.

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