Major League Baseball's offseason rumor mill is focusing on starting pitching, with the Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly intent on acquiring two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and the Boston Red Sox looking to bolster their rotation and bullpen.
Dodgers' rotation plans
The Dodgers enter the offseason with a talented but injury-prone rotation that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan, with Shohei Ohtani expected to rejoin the pitching staff later. The team is seen as a strong suitor for Skubal, who would provide a durable frontline starter for the 2027 season. If the Dodgers miss out on Skubal, they may not simply pursue the next highest-ranked free-agent starters such as Freddy Peralta or Michael King. Instead, they could opt for depth signings to absorb innings, similar to the Tyler Anderson signing ahead of the 2022 campaign. Other internal options like Justin Wrobleski, Gavin Stone and Jackson Ferris remain in the mix.
Red Sox seeking depth
Coming off consecutive Wild Card Series exits and sub-90-win seasons, the Red Sox are targeting a back-end starter and a right-handed reliever with swing-and-miss ability. Sonny Gray is headed for free agency, while Garrett Crochet returns from a nearly full-season injury. The projected rotation features Payton Tolle and Ranger Suárez in the second and third spots, with Jake Bennett as the fourth starter. Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck will compete for the fifth starter role and additional depth. In the bullpen, Aroldis Chapman returns as closer with Garrett Whitlock and Erik Miller as setup men; Houck could shift to a late-inning role if he does not secure a rotation spot.
