Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution breaks down the type of player Vaughn Grissom is and what the Red Sox can expect to see from him
The MLB offseason is in full swing, and it's a pivotal one for the Boston Red Sox.
The club needs an overhaul after its second consecutive last-place finish in the American League East. MLB pitcher-turned-front office executive Craig Breslow will lead the roster-building effort as Chaim Bloom's replacement. He begins his tenure as Boston's chief baseball officer with no shortage of items on his to-do list.
Improving the starting rotation is priority No. 1 for the Red Sox this offseason. After that, Breslow's focus should be on finding a right-handed bat and fixing a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league in most metrics in 2023.
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With glaring needs on the roster, this should be one of the most active Red Sox offseasons in recent memory. We've got you covered with every rumor, signing, trade, and hiring over the next few months. You can keep track of it all below:
Friday, Feb. 9: The San Diego Padres have expressed interest in Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Thursday, Feb. 8: The Red Sox are signing right-hander Michael Fulmer, according to Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com. Fulmer is set to miss the entire 2024 season after getting UCL surgery in October 2023.
Wednesday, Jan. 30: The Red Sox claimed utility man Romy Gonzalez off waivers from the Chicago White Sox and designated pitcher Zack Weiss for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Tuesday, Jan. 30: Justin Turner is staying in the AL East, but he's not returning to the Red Sox. The veteran infielder has agreed to a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports.
Thursday, Jan. 25: The Red Sox have expressed interest in veteran reliever Ryne Stanek, according to USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale.
Monday, Jan. 15: So much for "full throttle" ... The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reports the Red Sox are "unlikely to make the sort of deep-end, long-term plunge needed to land" left-handers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, arguably the two best pitchers remaining in free agency.
Boston remains "interested" in trading for a starter, per Speier, but is focused on "pitchers who would be under team control for multiple years."
Friday, Jan. 12: Another potential pitching candidate is the off the board. Hard-throwing right-hander Jordan Hicks has agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract with San Francisco Giants, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.
Tuesday, Jan. 9: Veteran right-hander Mike Clevinger has "made it clear Boston is one of his preferred landing spots," according to WEEI's Rob Bradford.
Tuesday, Jan. 9: The Red Sox are officially out of the Shota Imanaga sweepstakes as the Japanese southpaw has signed with the Cubs, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Tuesday, Jan. 9: The Red Sox and Cubs are "seen as very much in play" for Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, who also mentioned the Giants as one of Imanaga's five suitors.
Monday, Jan. 8: The Red Sox have "very aggressive" in talks with Jorge Soler and are the "frontrunner" to sign the free agent outfielder/designated hitter, per Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital.
Sunday, Jan. 7: Teoscar Hernandez is off the board. The free-agent outfielder has agreed to a one-year, $23.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.
Saturday, Jan. 6: The Red Sox are among teams connected to veteran free-agent right-hander Marcus Stroman, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.
Saturday, Jan. 6: The Athletic's Jim Bowden reports the Red Sox are among the finalists to sign Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga.
Friday, Jan. 5: The White Sox are "weighing" trade offers for pitcher Dylan Cease, and the Red Sox are one of several teams that could be in the mix, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Sunday, Dec. 31: The Red Sox have more additions to make, but there could be more attrition on the roster. MassLive's Chris Cotillo reports the Sox have "told at least one free agent target that they need to shed more payroll before pursuing him as aggressively as they want to."
Cotillo identified All-Star closer Kenley Jansen as one potential trade candidate for Boston.
Saturday, Dec. 30: Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made his boldest move to date, trading left-hander Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves in return for 22-year-old infielder Vaughn Grissom, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Read John Tomase's analysis of the surprising trade here.
Friday, Dec. 29: We've got action! The Red Sox signed free-agent right-hander Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million contract, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Thursday, Dec. 28: The Red Sox have "big interest" in free-agent starter Lucas Giolito and are also among teams showing interest in free agent and reigning NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Wednesday, Dec. 27: The Red Sox are among the "most aggressive" teams pursuing free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo.
Wednesday, Dec. 27: Boston is showing interest in Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodriguez, MLB.com's Francys Romero reports. The Red Sox worked out Rodriguez back in November.
Tuesday, Dec. 26: The Red Sox "remain engaged" on free-agent right-hander Lucas Giolito "along with many other clubs," MassLive's Chris Cotillo reports.
Boston is also continuing communication with James Paxton about a potential reunion, per Cotillo.
Tuesday, Dec. 26: The Red Sox have "discuss(ed)" potential contract parameters with free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported Sunday. Hernandez hit 26 home runs with 96 RBIs for the Seattle Mariners last season.
Saturday, Dec. 23: The Red Sox are showing "strong interest" in re-signing left-handed starter James Paxton, per WEEI's Rob Bradford.
Friday, Dec. 22: We have a deal -- albeit a minor one. The Red Sox have signed catcher Mark Kolozsvary to a minor league contract, per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.
Friday, Dec. 22: We have a winner in the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes, and it isn't the Red Sox. The Japanese ace has agreed to a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.
Wednesday, Dec. 20: The Athletic's Jim Bowden has the latest on the market for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, noting the Red Sox are one of the "backburner teams" behind the Dodgers and Yankees.
Tuesday, Dec. 19: The Red Sox apparently never met with Yoshinobu Yamamoto despite previous reporting that the Japanese ace had a trip to Boston planned. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports Yamamoto only stopped in New York for meetings with the Yankees and Mets during his trip out east.
Tuesday, Dec. 19: The Yankees just landed Jeter ... Downs.
New York has claimed the former Red Sox infielder -- whom Boston acquired from the Dodgers as part of the Mookie Betts trade -- off waivers from the Nationals.
Tuesday, Dec. 19: The Yankees are "viewed by many as the frontrunner" to land Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports.
Monday, Dec. 18: The Red Sox have hired former Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson as a hitting coordinator, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.
Monday, Dec. 18: ESPN's Jeff Passan writes that recent reports suggesting teams have offered Yamamoto deals north of $300 million are "inaccurate."
"The expectation is that teams will start proposing contract terms as early as Monday," Passan added.
Monday, Dec. 18: The Red Sox are making a legitimate push for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and view the Japanese ace as a "true No. 1 starter," our John Tomase reports.
Sunday, Dec. 17: It sounds like the Red Sox are still in the hunt for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Both the Red Sox and San Francisco Giants offered the Japanese ace a contract worth at least $300 million, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden.
SNY's Andy Martino also reports the Red Sox and New York Mets are expected to be "financially aggressive" in their pursuit of Yamamoto.
Thursday, Dec. 14: The latest update on Yoshinobu Yamamoto doesn't bode well for the Red Sox. While team representatives "have met or will soon meet" with Yamamoto in California, four other teams -- the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants and Mets -- have already met with the Japanese ace, and "few in the industry expect the Sox to win the Yamamoto sweepstakes," The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reports.
Wednesday, Dec. 13: The Red Sox reportedly signed veteran catcher Roberto Perez to a minor-league contract with an invitation to MLB camp.
Wednesday, Dec. 13: Cooper Criswell is officially a member of the Red Sox, as the team announced his signing Wednesday.
Tuesday, Dec. 12: The Red Sox reportedly made a minor move late Tuesday night, inking righty Cooper Criswell to a one-year deal worth $1 million.
Tuesday, Dec. 12: Rumored Red Sox starting pitching target Seth Lugo reportedly has signed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Royals.
Tuesday, Dec. 12: Boston continues to show interest in Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga, but the team has plenty of competition, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi.
Tuesday, Dec. 12: The Red Sox are set to meet with coveted Japanese left-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto "in the coming days," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports.
Yamamoto has already met with the Yankees, Mets and Giants and likely will meet with "two or three more teams," including the Blue Jays, per Feinsand.
Monday, Dec. 11: Could next season be Alex Cora's last as manager of the Red Sox?
"Several teams" have expressed "strong interest" in hiring Cora after his contract with Boston expires following the 2024 season, USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reports.
Saturday, Dec. 9: Shohei Ohtani isn't coming to Boston, folks. The two-way superstar has agreed to an astounding 10-year, $700 contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Friday, Dec. 8: We've got another trade! The Red Sox reportedly acquired outfielder Tyler O'Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals. Details here.
Thursday, Dec. 7: The Red Sox are one of "many" teams interested in Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
A two-time All-Star in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, the 30-year-old Imanaga posted a 2.80 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 148 innings this past season.
Heyman also reports the Red Sox are still in on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who's one of the top free-agent pitchers on the market.
Thursday, Dec. 7: Juan Soto is officially a Yankee, while Alex Verdugo indeed is staying put in New York. Read the full trade details here.
Wednesday, Dec. 6: The Yankees reportedly are gaining momentum on a blockbuster trade with the Padres for Juan Soto, but MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports that Alex Verdugo isn't expected to be included in the deal.
Wednesday, Dec. 6: The Red Sox have shown interest in free agent outfielder Michael Taylor, per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 in Houston.
Taylor hit just .220 for the Minnesota Twins last season but tallied 21 home runs and 51 RBIs and is an excellent defensive outfielder.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: We have a deal! The Red Sox have traded Alex Verdugo to the rival Yankees for pitchers Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice, the team confirmed Tuesday night.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: The Red Sox are one of several teams showing interest in free agent right-hander Lucas Giolito, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one of the Red Sox' "top priorities" at this week's MLB Winter Meetings, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports.
Yamamoto is expected to make his decision sometime in December but after free-agent superstar Shohei Ohtani, per Morosi.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: The Red Sox are "stepping up" their pursuit of right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, who also notes the Braves are among "four or five" other teams showing interest.
The free agent starter went 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA, 140 strikeouts and a 1.20 WHIP over 146 1/3 innings for the Padres last season.
Tuesday, Dec. 5: The Red Sox have interest in free-agent catcher Martin Maldonado, ESPN reports.
The 37-year-old is limited offensively -- .191 batting average over his last five seasons with the Astros -- but is an excellent defensive catcher who developed a strong rapport with Houston's pitching staff to help the team win a World Series in 2022.
Maldonado is a Puerto Rico native who has a "long-standing friendship" with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, per ESPN.
Monday, Dec. 4: The Red Sox have hired Justin Willard as their new director of pitching, The Boston Globe's Julian McWilliams reports. Willard previously served as the pitching coordinator for the Minnesota Twins.
Friday, Dec. 1: Boston is viewed as one of the "favorites" to sign star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports. The New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs are Yamamoto's other top suitors, per Passan.
Friday, Dec. 1: The Red Sox are out of the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, it appears. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the Red Sox, New York Mets and Texas Rangers have "turned their attention to other players" after showing initial interest.
Tuesday, Nov. 28: Cuban pitching prospect Yariel Rodriguez worked out in front of the Red Sox and Padres over the weekend in the Dominican Republic, per reporter Francys Romero. Our John Tomase has more on Rodriguez here.
Monday, Nov. 27: The Red Sox showed interest in 2023 NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell during the GM meetings, according to MassLive.com's Sean McAdam.
Monday, Nov. 27: Coveted free-agent starter Jordan Montgomery is living in Boston this winter, according to MassLive.com. The left-hander, who hails from South Carolina, has been working out at Boston College and calling the city his home while his wife begins her dermatology residency at an area hospital.
Monday, Nov. 27: It's unlikely ex-Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez will reunite with Boston this offseason, according to FanSided's Robert Murray. Rodriguez, who helped the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2018, is among the top starters in the 2024 free-agent class.
Monday, Nov. 27: Another top-end starting pitcher is off the board: Sonny Gray is finalizing a three-year, $75 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports.
Tuesday, Nov. 21: It's official: Former San Francisco Giants pitching coach (and close friend of Breslow) Andrew Bailey has been named Boston's new pitching coach.
Tuesday, Nov. 21: According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Red Sox "have already engaged in trade talks" involving a pair of second basemen: the Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India and the New York Yankees' Gleyber Torres.
Friday, Nov. 17: The Red Sox are trading second baseman Luis Urias to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-handed reliever Isaiah Campbell, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.
Thursday, Nov. 16: The Red Sox think very highly of free-agent pitcher Jordan Montgomery, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne.
"From what I've heard, they like Montgomery more than these other (pitchers)," Browne told host Steve Perrault on the "ITM" podcast. "They like him more than they like (Blake) Snell. They like him more than they like (Aaron) Nola. ... He's the guy that they're really targeting."
Wednesday, Nov. 15: The Red Sox are set to hire San Francisco Giants pitching coach Andrew Bailey as their new pitching coach, per multiple reports. Bailey and new Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow were teammates for a total of five seasons in Boston and Oakland.
Tuesday, Nov. 14: ESPN's Jeff Passan shared a few notable Red Sox-related nuggets in his column Tuesday morning.
- Passan reports the Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers are all "expected to be in the sweepstakes" for free agent superstar Shohei Ohtani.
- Boston is "targeting a front-of-the-rotation type" pitcher, per Passan, who added that the Red Sox are among at least five teams in the mix for Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
- Passan reports there's a "miniscule" chance of the Red Sox sending outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees for infielder Gleyber Torres, but that the "industry believes Boston wants to move Verdugo."
Friday, Nov. 10: Could an old friend return to Boston? The New York Post's Jon Heyman reports the Red Sox are a "possible contender" to sign the veteran left-hander.
Wednesday, Nov. 8: Craig Breslow revealed during the GM Meetings that the Red Sox have received calls from potential trade partners about outfielder Alex Verdugo.
Tuesday, Nov. 7: Andrew Bailey is the "clear favorite" to replace Dave Bush as the Red Sox' pitching coach, according to MassLive.com's Sean McAdam.
Tuesday, Nov. 7: MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports the Red Sox spoke with free-agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery's agent Scott Boras at the GM Meetings.
Sunday, Nov. 5: The Red Sox are "expected to be heavily considered" by free-agent superstar Shohei Ohtani this offseason, according to USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale.
