"Not an unrealistic possibility" - MLB insider believes Red Sox could sign Garrett Crochet and Max Fried to make big addition to team

The Boston Red Sox have taken a different offseason approach this offseason in comparison to their last few. The management is going all out and committed to spending their money to sign Juan Soto. With that intensity, they are also looking to plug the gaps in their pitching, as ESPN's Jeff Passan has reported two major names they could add this winter.

On Friday's episode of the "Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney" podcast, Passan said that the Red Sox are invested in signing All-Star pitchers Max Fried and Garrett Crochet.

“They have the opportunity and ability to do that (go add a frontline starter or two). They could very easily go and sign Max Fried and then trade for Garrett Corchet. That is not an unrealistic possibility.”

Fried, a two-time All-Star, will head into next year with a solid 73-36 career record. However, last season was decent, with an 11-10 record and a 3.25 ERA. He managed 166 strikeouts for the Atlanta Braves.

Crochet was one of the biggest White Sox's trade chips at the deadline. They decided to keep him and so it is now or never if they have to earn the best benefits from a Crochet trade. The southpaw managed just a 6-12 record, mostly due to no offensive backing, but was a strikeout machine, earning 209 in 146.0 innings.

Red Sox's biggest challenge remains in sorting rotation

While the Boston Red Sox are looking to secure Juan Soto, pitching remains a concern as they do not have an ace to lead the rotation. Lucas Giolito is expected to return after recovering from an elbow injury, and adding Max Fried can solve the issue of the ace. Behind Fried, Crochet can provide the cushion, with Giolito rounding off the regular starting pitchers throughout the season.

Per projections, Fried is expected to fetch offers of around $25 to $28 million annual average value for five to six years. While the negotiations have to concrete shape, trading for Crochet could be harder as several teams, including Dodgers, Orioles and Phillies, are also looking to bring him.

It will be exciting to see how the Red Sox go about it as they also balance their pursuit of Soto.