The Red Sox expect to land the Cy Young winner for $200 million in a blockbuster signing

As the old saying goes: Don’t be angry, take revenge.

On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox missed out on an ace in the free agent pitching pool. Left-hander Blake Snell signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, although the Red Sox were reportedly involved in the bidding war.

Snell was the first big name to come off the board this winter, and Red Sox fans are already nervous. It’s like a struggling basketball player: at some point we all have to see one go through the basket. Luckily, there are two more real aces to follow this winter.

Max Fried will rightly get a lot of attention because, like Snell, he is a left-handed hitter. The Red Sox don’t have a left-handed hitter in their rotation, which seems like an oversight in roster construction. But don’t forget the most expensive name on the market: 2021 National League Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.

Recently, FOX 43’s Cale Ahearn predicted that Burnes would sign a seven-year, $200 million contract with the Red Sox.

“The Red Sox have needed an ace at the top of their pitching staff for a long time,” Ahearn said. “Because Burnes is the top player on the market, he will cost a pretty penny and require a lot of commitment over the next few years, but he is exactly what this team needs to take a step towards contention.”

The 30-year-old Burnes has proven to be one of the most reliable starters in baseball over the past four years, totaling 125 starts and 757 innings pitched. In 2024, he had a record of 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA, with a slight decline in strikeouts, actually proving he was becoming more resilient with age.

If the Red Sox want to bounce back against the Dodgers and the rest of the league, trading a bag for Burnes at the earliest opportunity is the way to go. Sure, the Juan Soto sweepstakes is still going on, but if Boston wants to spend big again, it will also have to learn to juggle.

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