After the Boston Red Sox finished 2024 with an 81-81 record, could president of baseball operations Craig Breslow try to make a big splash for the 2025 rotation by reeling in starting pitcher Corbin Burnes in free agency?

The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey shared thoughts on the organization’s offseason checklist. One item on that list includes beefing up next year’s starting rotation. That could involve the Red Sox acquiring an ace to lead the way. McCaffrey reported that Breslow has “toed the line” when discussing adding an ace. She specifically mentioned Burnes, Max Fried and Jack Flaherty as top free agents heading into the winter.

“Every team in baseball is well served by having someone at the front of the rotation that can win a game when the team needs it, win a playoff game,” Breslow said, via McCaffrey in an October 2 story. “I think fortunately we saw a number of guys in the rotation this year take a step forward. I don’t want to devalue the job that guys like Tanner [Houck] and Brayan [Bello] and Kutter [Crawford] and others did. But at the same time, we need to get better, and we need to be open to any opportunity to do that.”

What Corbin Burnes Could Bring to the Red Sox

Boston’s starting rotation produced a 3.81 ERA in 2024, baseball’s seventh-best mark. Adding Burnes would provide a huge boost, though.

While the 2024 campaign was Burnes’ first in the American League, his production was similar to what he’s done in recent years. He went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings for the Baltimore Orioles.

It was the third straight year he’s tossed at least 190 innings, but his on-field domination goes further than that. Burnes has appeared in 137 games since 2020 (134 starts). He’s produced a 2.88 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 946 strikeouts across 816.2 innings. That includes four All-Star Game selections and four top-10 finishes in Cy Young Award voting. He took home the hardware in 2021 with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Burnes is seen as the top starting pitcher in free agency this winter. So, signing him won’t be a cheap endeavor, especially with agent Scott Boras representing him. Spotrac lists the hurler’s market value at six years and $180 million. However, other predictions have him surpassing the $200 million mark.

Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer predicted on August 1 that the right-hander would sign an eight-year, $288 million contract with the Red Sox.

Is Alex Cora Hinting at a Big Winter for the Red Sox?

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said last November that Boston would go “full throttle” to improve the roster after hiring Breslow. That never materialized regarding high-profile moves in free agency or the trade market.

Will things be different this winter? Manager Alex Cora dropped some hints during an appearance on NESN’s 310 to Left podcast.

“I think the front office is committed to take care of you [the fans],” Cora said to NESN’s Tom Caron and Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “You guys have taken care of us for so many years, it’s about time to take care of you.”

Making a significant investment anywhere on the roster would prove that correct. Boston has enjoyed just one winning season since 2020. That was a 92-70 performance in 2021, which ended with getting eliminated by the Houston Astros in the ALCS. This past campaign was the first time the Red Sox finished with 80-plus wins since then.