The Red Sox and starting pitching: In a disappointing 2023 season, one of the major challenges facing the Red Sox was a struggling pitching staff.
Boston pitchers combined for a 4.52 ERA, below the MLB team average (4.33). Starting pitching was a specific weakness, with the Red Sox staff compiling quality starts just 29 percent of the time (one of the worst rates in Major League Baseball).
As a result, the offseason priority is clear: Add pitching, with a concentration on starters. And while talented Japanese free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto is viewed as arguably the top possible signing, the Red Sox could be eyeing other options as well.