DONE DEAL: The Japanese sensational ace have finally made it formal by signing with the Reds as his boyhood dream team have been achieved

Could the Boston Red Sox actually end up landing the top free-agent starting pitcher?

Boston has work to do this offseason. The Red Sox made some positive strides in 2023 but ultimately failed to make the postseason. Although the club was in contention for a playoff spot deep into the summer, the starting rotation arguably is the biggest reason why it was unable to land one.

The Red Sox have won just 78 games in each of the last two seasons. Boston’s starters failed to go deep into games and caused a strain on the club’s bullpen. The Red Sox have plenty of money to spend and new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow in charge.

It’s unclear exactly what Breslow’s vision for the future is, but it’s clear that the Red Sox need to add this offseason. The most intriguing free agent starter this offseason is without a doubt Orix Buffaloes phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Yamamoto recently was posted and now can negotiate with Major League Baseball clubs about a possible deal. He will land a massive deal in free agency and the Red Sox have been linked to him on numerous occasions over the last year. Although it is unclear where he will end up, the latest speculation could be good news for Red Sox Nation.

The 25-year-old’s agent, Joel Wolfe, recently spoke to Yahoo Japan about Yamamoto’s free agent plan. While he didn’t get into specifics, he did say that Yamamoto is open to playing with fellow Japanese players and this could help Boston. Yamamoto already has a relationship with Boston outfielder Masataka Yoshida after playing together in the past. Boston will still have to offer the highest contract, but this could be a good sign for Red Sox fans.