The Boston Red Sox have roster questions to answer this offseason. Improving their pitching is a priority, something that was solidified in a recent report. Boston is reportedly interested in free agent starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

“Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one of the Red Sox' top priorities at the @MLB Winter Meetings. Yamamoto is expected to sign *after* Shohei Ohtani and before the end of the month,” Morosi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The Red Sox have been previously linked to Yamamoto. The fit makes sense given Boston's need for an ace. Yamamoto is drawing a lot of interest from around the league though.

Scouts believe he has a chance to become a true superstar at the big league level. He excelled in Japan and is only 25-years old. The Yankees, Boston's rival, are among the other suitors for Yamamoto. In fact, the Red Sox and Yankees may end up in a bidding war with one another in an effort to sign the pitcher.

Red Sox need to make moves

The American League East was MLB's most competitive division in 2023. The Yankees and Red Sox did not have good seasons for their standards, but both still performed well enough to finish right around the .500 mark. Their records would have placed them in second or third place in some other divisions.

However, New York and Boston finished fourth and fifth in the AL East. The Baltimore Orioles won the division with a 101-61 record, while the Tampa Bay Rays (99-63) and Toronto Blue Jays (89-73) finished second and third.

As a result, the Red Sox, and Yankees for that matter, have two options. They can either go into a complete rebuild and start over, or go all in and try to win. Neither can expect to find success with their current rosters though.

The Red Sox need to make at least one big move, and other small moves to add necessary depth. Adding two or three stars certainly would not hurt either.

Once Shohei Ohtani makes his free agency decision, Red Sox-Yoshinobu Yamamoto rumors will likely begin to heat up.