Ranking the top 10 free-agent starting pitchers

Teams in desperate need of starting pitching heading into the 2024 season are in trouble.

Simply put, the 2024 free-agent class leaves plenty to be desired. After stars Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell, and perhaps Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto, there's a glaring lack of No. 1 starters on the open market. Even the team that wins the Ohtani sweepstakes will have to wait until 2025 for him to take the mound as he recovers from a torn UCL.

The Boston Red Sox are among the teams that should aggressively target one of the few free-agent aces. In fact, new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow should consider adding not one, but two or maybe even three capable arms to overhaul the lackluster rotation.

We could see the Red Sox pull off a trade or two to upgrade their pitching staff. But if they go the free agency route, here are the top 10 options they should consider.

Note: Left-hander Julio Urias is not listed as he recently was arrested on domestic violence charges for the second time.

1. Shohei Ohtani, RHP

Age: 29

Unfortunately for teams looking for an immediate boost to their starting rotation, Ohtani won't pitch in 2024 due to a torn UCL. Still, he's unquestionably the top free agent set to hit the market and is expected to sign a record-breaking contract. The two-way phenom is a shoo-in to earn his second MVP award after another historic season for the Los Angeles Angels.

The Ohtani sweepstakes will be the No. 1 storyline of the MLB offseason.

UPDATE (Dec. 10): Ohtani announced via his Instagram page that he has decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, it's a 10-year deal worth $700 million. He will earn $2 million per year for the next 10 seasons with the remaining $680 million deferred until the end of the contract.

2. Blake Snell, LHP

Age: 31

Snell has inserted himself into the NL Cy Young conversation amid a stellar season for the San Diego Padres. The veteran southpaw already has one Cy Young Award under his belt (2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays) and has proven still capable of anchoring a pitching staff.

The one knock on Snell is his inconsistent command. He led the majors with 99 walks, though he set a new career-high in strikeouts with 234.

3. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP

Age: 25

Yamamoto has been posted by the Orix Buffaloes of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League, setting up an all-out bidding war for the right-handed ace.

Through 143 innings pitched this season, Yamamoto is 17-6 with a 1.16 ERA, 176 strikeouts, and 28 walks. In his seven-year career, he owns a 75-30 record with a 1.72 ERA and 0.915 WHIP in 967.2 innings.

UPDATE (Dec. 22): Yamamoto is joining the Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million contract, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.

4. Sonny Gray, RHP

Age: 34

Gray hasn't exactly been a model of consistency in his 11-year career, but he has been outstanding over the last two seasons with the Minnesota Twins. In 2023, the veteran righty posted his lowest ERA (2.73) and innings pitched total (184) since 2015.

UPDATE (Nov. 27): Gray is heading to the St. Louis Cardinals on a three-year, $75 million contract, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports.

5. Aaron Nola, RHP

Age: 30

Nola has finished top five in Cy Young voting twice in his career, so the ace potential is there. In 2022, he was a big reason why the Philadelphia Phillies were able to make it all the way to the World Series.

But Nola's 2023 campaign has left plenty to be desired. The nine-year veteran amassed a 4.46 ERA through 29 starts. Still, as a true workhorse, his services should be in high demand this offseason.

UPDATE (Nov. 19): Nola has agreed to re-sign with the Phillies on a seven-year contract worth $170-175 million, per USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale.

6. Marcus Stroman, RHP

Age: 32

As Cubs president Jed Hoyer put it in his end-of-season press conference, it was "a tale of two seasons" for Stroman in 2023.

Stroman looked like an NL Cy Young candidate in the first half of the campaign, compiling a 2.28 ERA over 98.2 innings and earning a spot on the All-Star squad. Injuries, however, plagued the veteran righty from July on. He had an 8.29 ERA in 38 innings across his final 11 starts.

Despite those struggles, Stroman has a good enough track record to be an attractive option for teams looking for rotation upgrades.

7. Clayton Kershaw, LHP

Age: 36

Kershaw being listed here is a formality. The future Hall of Famer is on the tail end of his career and it's more likely he retires than leaves the Los Angeles Dodgers for a new club. While injuries have plagued him in recent years, his exceptional 2023 campaign shows he still can be a key contributor if he chooses to return for another season.

8. Jordan Montgomery, LHP

Age: 31

Montgomery isn't an ace, but he's a rock-solid mid-rotation arm who can help stabilize a pitching staff. He was one of the New York Yankees' most consistent starters before they traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022. He enjoyed similar success in St. Louis before being dealt to the Texas Rangers at the 2023 deadline, then he played a huge role in Texas' World Series run. His price tag only increased in October.

9. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP

Age: 31

E-Rod is back on the market after opting out of the final year of his contract with the Detroit Tigers. The former Red Sox southpaw posted a 3.30 ERA over 152.2 innings in 2023. He earned a spot in the AL Cy Young conversation before a finger injury forced him to miss more than a month.

UPDATE (Dec. 6): Rodriguez is signing a four-year, $80 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

10. Lucas Giolito, RHP

Age: 29

Giolito's career has been bizarre, to say the least. He was the worst pitcher in baseball during his first full season in 2018 with the Chicago White Sox. He bounced back to earn an All-Star nod and a sixth-place Cy Young Award finish in 2019. That was followed by two more strong seasons in 2020 -- which included a no-hitter -- and 2021. Since then, it's been rough.

Giolito was traded from the White Sox to the Los Angeles Angels at the 2023 trade deadline. The Angels waived him after only six starts, and he was claimed by the Cleveland Guardians. In 33 starts between the three clubs, he posted a 4.88 ERA and 1.31 WHIP.

UPDATE (Dec. 29): Giolito and the Red Sox have agreed to a two-year contract worth $38.5 million, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Honorable mentions: Shota Imanaga, Sean Manaea, Mike Clevinger, Seth Lugo, Tyler Mahle, Wade Miley, Jack Flaherty, Michael Wacha, Michael Lorenzen, Luis Severino, Kyle Gibson, James Paxton, Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill, Brad Keller, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Alex Wood.