Here’s which free agent Boston.com readers want the Red Sox to sign

Readers say

“Show him the money!!”

Most Red Sox fans would want the team to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto if they could only pick one free agent. Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo, file

With the MLB offseason finally here, several of baseball’s top free agents will soon be signing brand new contracts.

Some of these free agents have already done that. Aaron Nola Agreed to Stay in Philadelphia for Seven Years and $172 Million, and Sonny Gray Is is expected to sign a three-year contract worth $75 million to play for the St. Louis Cardinals from Monday. Nola and Gray are the first of two players to face brand new contracts or even new teams before the end of winter.

Every year, Bostonians across the city hope that at least one of the many talented free agents still available will sign their next contract with the Red Sox. But no two fans have the same winter wish list. Some fans want the team to sign a number of good pitchers and hitters, while others would be satisfied with a single elite starter.

To gauge the general expectations and preferences of Red Sox fans this season, we asked Boston.com readers which free agent they wanted the Red Sox to sign if they could only have one. More than 500 readers responded with their thoughts, and it seems most of them have their sights set on one name in particular.

“(Yoshinobu Yamamoto) will be someone you want to see at Fenway Park!” Scott B. of Milton, said Vt. “Show him the money!”

Fifty-six percent of readers said if the Red Sox could sign just one free agent this offseason, they would choose Yamamoto. And after the season he had with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), it’s easy to see why. Yamamoto finished his season with a 1.21 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with 145 strikeouts in 164 innings pitched.

But Yamamoto’s stats, while impressive, are not the reason most readers would like to see him pitch in Boston. What excites them most about Yamamoto is his age.

“Yamamoto is a great thrower and only 25 years old,” said Mario from Ludlow.

At the age of 25, Yamamoto has already established himself as one of the best throwers in the world. His many accolades reflect his dominance, as he has won three Triple Crowns and three Sawamura Awards (NPB’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award), and will likely win his third consecutive Pacific League MVP Award as well.

The accolades, attention and statistics associated with young Yamamoto’s name make one thing very clear: he has the potential to be one of the best starting pitchers in baseball for years to come.

“I see him as the same as Pedro (Martinez) in the late 1990s and early 2000s,” said Andrew S. of Amesbury. “He would dominate.”

While Yamamoto will be playing in the MLB for the first time next season, fans are very familiar with the free agent runner-up: Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez pitched in Boston from 2015 to 2021, and 20% of readers would like to see him return if they had only one choice.

But readers’ reasons for wanting Rodriguez back extend beyond his history with the Red Sox. He finished 2023 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.153 WHIP, while recording 143 strikeouts in 152.2 innings pitched. At age 30, Rodriguez still has several years of quality baseball left in him and is also expected to make less money than Yamamoto, meaning that welcoming him back on a reasonable deal will ultimately be a relatively low-risk, high-risk decision. reward could be.

“(Rodriguez is) young, cheaper than the others, strong fighter on the mound,” said Bobby from Canton. “(He) was effective with (the Red) Sox.”

From a player Red Sox fans know to a player the entire baseball world knows, nearly 16% of readers would sign Shohei Ohtani, the face of baseball, if they could only choose one free agent. The two-way superstar just wrapped up a season in which he pitched to a 3.14 ERA and a 1.061 WHIP in 132 innings and led all of baseball in OPS (1.066), OPS+ (184) and slugging (.654), while hitting the American League led. in home runs (44), OBP (.412) and total bases (325).

The appeal of signing this year’s unanimous AL MVP is obvious. He is a game changer with a ball or a club in his hand.

“(Ohtani) has proven to be the best in the MLB,” said William from Albion, Michigan.

“(Ohtani is) Babe Ruth 2.0,” said Joey P. of Athol.

Despite how good Ohtani is, signing him comes with some drawbacks. Ohtani underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his throwing arm, which he tore in August. This means he won’t pitch until 2024, and some fans are concerned the injury will affect his pitching in the future.

“Uncertainty about whether Shohei will pitch well again,” said Kathy R. of Essex Junction, Vt., who voted for Yamamoto. “Otherwise it would have been Ohtani, who, quite frankly, will bring in enough revenue to justify his salary.”

That salary will be downright astronomical. Ohtani could potentially land the biggest contract in sports history in just a few months, one that could surpass half a billion dollars. He undoubtedly deserves it, but some fans question whether the Red Sox should be the ones to give it to a two-way player who won’t pitch next season and, at 29, might not be nearly as productive by season’s end . his almost certainly more than ten-year contract.

“I would consider Ohtani,” said Michael S. of Bradenton, Fla., who voted for Yamamoto, “but I worry about being financially handcuffed in the future.

Some Sox fans are hesitant to sign Ohtani from a short-term perspective as well. The Red Sox have a fantastic offense with questionable pitching, and to those fans, it doesn’t make sense that a player who can hit exceptionally well but won’t pitch next season is eating up so much of the Red Sox’ money.

“While I love Ohtani’s versatile game, he won’t be pitching in 2024,” said David of Newport Beach, who voted for Yamamoto. The Sox offense will be fine without him.”

But for some fans, the potential of Ohtani returning to his dominant self in 2025 is enough to consider signing him.

“If (the Red Sox) miss pretty much everyone, and Ohtani is the consolation prize,” said Washington DC’s Andrew, “I’d be dealing with mediocre pitching for the 2024 season just to have the opportunity to roll out with Shohei as our No. 1 or No. 2 come the 2025 season.”

Ohtani’s play may be hampered next season, but his influence certainly will not. He is one of the most recognizable faces in baseball and perhaps the biggest global icon, which fans hope the Red Sox can use to expand the sport’s reach worldwide.

“With Ohtani in the lineup, the Red Sox could play a leading role in expanding baseball around the world,” said Brian from Columbus, Ohio.

The two other free agents who received a percentage of the vote were Blake Snell (5%) and Jordan Montgomery (2%). Both pitchers have experience pitching in both the World Series and the AL East (Snell with the Rays and Montgomery with the Yankees) and were two of the most successful pitchers this season.

Snell had a season to remember last year. He pitched to a 2.25 ERA and 182 ERA+ while recording 99 walks, all of which led the major leagues, and striking out 234 batters in 180 innings. This dominance earned him this year’s National League Cy Young Award and a seal of approval from some Red Sox fans.

“The Red Sox need good, reliable starting pitching more than anything and that’s why I chose Snell,” said East Providence JV. “The fact that Snell has been successful in the MLB and especially in the AL East makes my vote for him over the others.”

Montgomery pitched to a 3.20 ERA and a 1.193 WHIP while recording 166 strikeouts in 188.2 innings pitched for both the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. He played a crucial role in the Rangers championship and even pitched in the World Series.

The Red Sox have been linked to Montgomery in the past and some fans agree with the team’s interest.

“Long, downhill LHPs (like Montgomery) perform well at Fenway (Bruce Hurst, Jon Lester),” said an anonymous reader. “Plus, he was at his best when it mattered most.”

The Red Sox will likely sign more than one free agent this offseason, regardless of how good the players they sign are. But if they could only choose one, Boston.com readers know exactly who they would choose.