If David Ortiz was running the Boston Red Sox's front office, he knows who he would want to sign this offseason.
Ortiz is no stranger to Red Sox Nation and after an unsuccessful 2022 season that saw the squad finish in last place in the American League East with a disappointing 78-84 record, he like many Boston fans wants the team to make some big splashes this offseason.
The Red Sox legend hasn't been shy about his opinion on how he believes the team should bring back four-time All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts on a long-term deal and also sign third baseman Rafael Devers to an extension, but he also mentioned some other firepower on the open market the team could consider while speaking to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo on the Fenway Rundown podcast.
"The free agent market is not wide open like years before," Ortiz said in his conversation with Cotillo. "Pretty much all of the great players are locked down with some other organizations but I mean you have a guy like (Justin Verlander) out there. You can add him to your resume and it'll be great, but you've got to pay."
The Red Sox seemingly have been linked to every major free agent at one point this offseason, including the 2022 American League Cy Young winner. Verlander would be a welcomed addition to a Red Sox rotation that struggled in 2022, but he would cost over $30 million per year at the very least.
While it's not likely that Boston will sign the former Houston Astros hurler, he immediately would make the team better. The front office has stated multiple times since the 2022 season came to a close that their goal was to put together a competitive team in 2023 and Verlander certainly would help with that, but Boston has plenty of other holes to fill as well.
The first question the Red Sox has to address is the future of Bogaerts. If they can retain him, it would be the first and easiest step back toward competing.
Verlander would be a perfect player for the Red Sox but the price tag may be too high. There's no way to know for sure right now what the team will do, but there are plenty of ways for the team to get better heading into next season.
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