Major League Baseball's offseason rumor mill is focusing on the Los Angeles Dodgers' pursuit of two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and the Boston Red Sox's search for pitching depth ahead of the 2027 season.
Dodgers targeting Skubal
The Dodgers' rotation features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan, with Shohei Ohtani still working toward a return to pitching. However, injury concerns around several starters have led to speculation that Los Angeles will aggressively pursue Skubal in free agency. According to reporting from The Athletic, the Dodgers need a reliable innings-eater for 2027 and are considered strong bidders for the left-hander. If they miss out on Skubal, the front office may not simply move down the list to alternatives such as Freddy Peralta or Michael King, instead potentially signing depth options to soak up innings, similar to the Tyler Anderson signing before the 2022 season.
Red Sox seeking back-end starter and reliever
After consecutive Wild Card Series exits and sub-90-win campaigns, Boston is looking to upgrade its pitching staff. MassLive reports the Red Sox are in the market for a back-end starter and a right-handed reliever with swing-and-miss ability. The projected rotation includes Garrett Crochet returning from a near full-season injury, with Payton Tolle and Ranger Suárez slotted as the second and third starters and Jake Bennett as the fourth. The fifth spot could go to Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford or Tanner Houck, while the bullpen features Aroldis Chapman at closer with Garrett Whitlock and Erik Miller as setup men. Houck could also shift to a late-inning role if he does not secure a rotation spot.
