Overview

• Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Boston will aggressively pursue a starter who can perform at Garrett Crochet’s level while continuing internal development.
• Rotation uncertainty heightens urgency as Lucas Giolito deals with an elbow issue, Tanner Houck recovers from Tommy John surgery, Patrick Sandoval returns from UCL rehab, and Kutter Crawford missed the season.
• Young lefties Connelly Early and Payton Tolle showed promise but have limited major league experience, with Kyle Harrison also in the mix for 2026 roles.
• MLB Trade Rumors outlines possible avenues that include free agents Framber Valdez, Tatsuya Imai and Dylan Cease, plus trade targets such as MacKenzie Gore, Joe Ryan, Pablo López and Sandy Alcantara, with prior links to Ryan resurfacing.
• Media proposals—notably from Daniel Feininger—float a Duran-led package for Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who posted a 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts in 2025, though no concrete trade talks have been reported.