The Boston Red Sox failed to make the postseason for the third straight season, but they did break the trend of finishing in last place in the American League East as they finished .500 with an 81-81 record and in third place in the division. It’s not a secret heading into this offseason they need to address their starting pitching, and they have a chance to reunite a group of friends into their rotation as Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and Jack Flaherty would all reunite in Boston. The three pitched together in high school as they all attended Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles. Giolito is likely going to opt into his contract for the 2025 season after missing 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, Fried is the top left-handed prospect available on the free agent market, and Flaherty who the Red Sox had interest in last season will also be a free agent. The three combined in 2012 to go 16-4 with a 2.28 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and 172 strikeouts in 134 total innings. Fried and Giolito graduated in 2012 while Flaherty was only a sophomore.
LHP – Max Fried
Fried concluded his eighth big league season, he is 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA, a 3.29 FIP, a 1.16 WHIP, a 0.8 BB/9, a 2.5 BB/9, and an 8.8 K/9 in 884.1 innings. This season he made 29 starts going 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA, a 3.33 FIP, a 1.16 WHIP, a 0.7 HR/9, a 2.9 BB/9, and an 8.6 K/9 in 174.1 innings. He is a two-time all-star, he has three gold gloves, and he’s finished in the top five in Cy Young voting twice, finishing in second in 2022.
RHP – Jack Flaherty
Flaherty has wrapped up his eighth big league season as well going 55-41 with a 3.63 ERA, a 3.91 FIP, a 1.18 WHIP, a 1.2 HR/9, a 3.2 BB/9, and a 10.2 K/9 in 829.2 innings. This season he had a bounce-back season making 28 starts going 13-7 between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers with a 3.17 ERA, a 3.48 FIP, a 1.07 WHIP, a 1.3 HR/9, a 2.1 BB/9, and a 10.8 K/9 in 162 innings. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting in 2019.
Bottom Line:
The Staff Adding Fried and Flaherty would give the Red Sox depth and a solid pitching staff which would include Flaherty, Giolito, Fried, Brayan Bello, and Tanner Houck and would move Kutter Crawford to the long reliever role and make their bullpen even scarier even with the additions they may make to the pen in 2025. This would answer a lot of questions for the Red Sox and may even help get them back into the postseason.
