The Boston Red Sox are entering the offseason with a clear priority: Pitching. They have four established starters already under team control for 2025: Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Lucas Giolito. This is a solid foundation for next year, but one of the major decisions facing the club is whether Nick Pivetta will accept the team’s qualifying offer by November 19. Pivetta has been a regular in the rotation for the Red Sox but he is inconsistent at times.

The Red Sox could bring him back on a one-year deal if he accepts, but even if he declines, the team is still exploring ways to improve its starting pitching. Craig Breslow mentioned that the Red Sox have been actively exploring top-of-the-rotation options. Breslow has been engaging with agents and other teams to find an upgrade. Whether through trade or free agency, adding a high-quality arm to anchor the rotation has become one of the team’s top priorities.

“I think we have to,” Breslow commented, according to the Boston Globe, adding, “We have lofty goals. We know we need to raise the ceiling of the rotation. I think there are a lot of ways to do that, but we’re going to be really, really open-minded.” Players like Sandy Alcantara, Corbin Burnes, and even Blake Snell have been linked to potential trades or free-agent signings across the league.

If the Red Sox are able to land one of them, it will immediately elevate their staff. Since the team is now open to upgrading their rotation, it also directly impacts Blake Snell’s chances of being a Red Sox. Both Snell and Burnes are great options for Boston but let’s not forget Snell has options – other teams might also deem him fit for their crew and extend an offer. 

Team options Blake Snell can implore   

Blake Snell has entered free agency with high expectations. He expects to have his pick of multi-year offers from teams that he didn’t get last year. Last year, the offseason didn’t unfold as expected for Snell as he found himself waiting until mid-March to sign a deal. In the end, Snell agreed to a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. The contract came with a $30 million player option for 2025, a clause that Snell ultimately declined after a dominant second half of the season.   

One of the options Blake Snell may have is to go back to the Giants. At his introductory press conference, Buster Posey noted Blake as one of the premier starting pitchers in the big leagues. With the Giants aiming for a competitive 2025 season, Posey made it clear that keeping Snell around is a top priority. So, we could see an offer coming from them. The other team is the Yankees – Gerrit Cole’s return to the Bronx could have shifted the New York Yankees’ focus away from Blake Snell, who would have been a natural candidate to replace Cole as the team’s ace if Snell became a free agent.  

The Yankees had shown interest in Snell a year ago, so, why not again? Now, the free agency has Soto in the mix too, so their sights are firmly set on Juan Soto and a potential deal north of $500 million. If that happens, it seems more likely that Snell’s path to the Bronx would open up only if Soto were to sign elsewhere.