Red Sox Made A ‘Serious Push’ To Sign $26 Million Shane Bieber

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly aggressively pursuing pitching this winter. These same reports indicate that Boston is looking for a left-handed starting pitcher, having checked in on Yusei Kikuchi and Blake Snell before the pair signed elsewhere.

Boston is still looking to improve its rotation though. There are reports coming from FanSided’s Robert Murray indicating that the Red Sox made a strong push for Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber before Bieber agreed to a two-year deal with Cleveland.

“Before Shane Bieber re-signed with the Cleveland Guardians, the Boston Red Sox were ‘aggressive’ and made a ‘serious push’ to sign the right-hander, according to sources familiar with the situation,” Murray wrote. “Bieber, 30 in May, turned down more money with other teams to return to Cleveland, sources say. In his deal with the Guardians, he will earn $10 million in 2025 with a $16 million player option for 2026 that includes a $4 million buyout.”

Bieber reportedly took less money with the Guardians in order to stay home. Boston will now be left to turn its attention to a different group of pitchers to bolster the rotation.

The top two pitchers for the Red Sox are free agent Max Fried and trade candidate Garrett Crochet. Both are left-handed aces who would complement the Red Sox’s rotation very well.

If they fail for this pair of southpaws, they may be forced to turn the attention to right-handed pitchers such as Jack Flaherty, Corbin Burnes, or Nathan Eovaldi.

More MLB: Where Will $700 Million Yankees Free Agent Juan Soto Sign In Coming Days?