The Boston Red Sox should make a move quickly…
If the 2025 season showed anything for the Boston Red Sox, it’s that you can never have too much pitching.
Boston was bitten by the injury bug throughout the campaign and entered the playoffs with just Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello healthy from the Opening Day rotation.
Because of that, the Red Sox have openly spoken about the organization’s interest in adding a No. 2 starter, but that shouldn’t be all. The Red Sox need to add depth throughout the organization as a contingency, just in case injuries pop up again. One guy that should be at the very top of Boston’s wish list is former Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Alek Manoah.
The Red Sox should sign Alek Manoah
This is a guy who is just 27 years old and finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting just three years ago in 2022. That season, Manoah finished the year with a 16-7 record to go along with a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts at just 24 years old. Boston certainly saw a lot of him that season in the division as well.
The last few seasons have been anything but pretty for the young starter. He dealt with injuries, bounced around between the big leagues and the minors, was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays in September, signed with the Atlanta Braves, and then eventually was non-tendered by Atlanta last week. All in all, a lot has happened with this guy since his 2022 breakout season.
This isn’t to say that the Red Sox should sign Manoah and then let that be it with the rotation. Boston needs to add a No. 2 starter either through free agency or a trade. A deal with Manoah should be considered on top of that.
Injuries will pop up throughout a season. It’s just the nature of the game. If you look at Boston in 2025, there was a time before the season when there was chatter about how there could be so much pitching that the Red Sox would need a six-man rotation. Entering Spring Training, the guys expected to be in the rotation for Boston were Crochet, Bello, Lucas Giolito, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Walker Buehler. On top of this, the team had Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins, Sean Newcomb, and Quinn Priester as depth options, among others.
Crawford never made a start in 2025. On top of that, Houck, Giolito, Fitts, and Dobbins got hurt. The Red Sox cut ties with Newcomb and Priester as well. By the time the playoffs arrived, Boston was hurting for a pitcher.
Manoah is someone who should be brought into the Red Sox pitching factory to see if they can get him right. At worst, he would be a Triple-A depth option. At best, he could help the rotation if he could return to form. Either way, the Red Sox need arms.
