Blake Snell signing with Dodgers forces Red Sox to focus on 2x All-Star ace: Reports

On Tuesday, Blake Snell inked a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The largest deal of the former Cy Young winner's career to date, the transaction has wide-ranging implications for the free agency market.

Right up until the announcement, the Boston Red Sox were among the teams most invested in acquiring Snell. Led by the president of baseball operations and former pitcher Craig Breslow, starting pitching was always the objective for the Red Sox this offseason.

"The Boston Red Sox, who were in on Blake Snell, now are focusing on Max Fried to upgrade their rotation." - Bob Nightengale

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Snell deal shifted focus for the Red Sox. Now, Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried is becoming the subject of interest for Breslow and his team, who know they need a new star in their rotation come opening day.

Max Fried was a large part of the reason why the Braves were tied with the Seattle Mariners for the lowest combined ERA in MLB last season. A 30 year-old with eight years of experience, Fried fits the bill of an experienced, capable starting arm who can eat up innings and drive ticket sales.

"2024 PitchingNinja Award for Deadliest Sinker. Winner: Max Fried (vs. Luis Arráez)" - Rob Friedman

In 2024, Fried tossed to a 3.25 ERA in 29 starts. In addition to going 11-10 on the season, the California-born southpaw tossed 166 strikeouts in 174.1 innings and put up a WHIP figure of 1.164. After the end of the season, Fried's one-year, $15 million deal expired, rendering him a free agent.

For the Boston Red Sox, Tanner Houck was the only regular starter who posted an ERA below 4.00 in 2024. Having not made the postseason since 2021, upper management knows that addressing the rotation needs to be part of the plan going forward.

Missing out on Blake Snell will sting for the Red Sox

Several weeks ago, when the Red Sox were in the thick of contention to sign Blake Snell, Craig Breslow told the Boston Globe:

“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.”

Many took the former MLB pitcher's words as an indication the club was all-in on Blake Snell. However, that energy will need to be re-focused on obtaining other stars.