Top Offseason Options for the Boston Red Sox to Finish Off Winter Plans

After starting the offseason with a bang and following it up with some active winter meetings, the Red Sox transaction wire has been practically dormant for over a month. The team is in solid shape but could use a few more moves to transition into a genuine title contender.

Signing a high-upside pitcher like Alexi Ogando, who is available at a steep discount because of shoulder concerns, would be a nice dice roll. MLB.com's Peter Gammons reports the Red Sox have been "aggressive" in their pursuit of the 31-year-old. It'd also be wise to strengthen the bullpen by bringing back Burke Badenhop, who tells WEEI the teams interested in him are in the midst of a staring contest. 

But while those additions would be luxuries, it's no secret that the Red Sox need an ace to anchor their rotation.

I've touched on Cole Hamels and Johnny Cueto ad nauseam. Both would be great additions as long as Boston can lock the Dominican product up long term. I also won't rehash my James Shields criticism, but thankfully Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports the Red Sox are "highly unlikely" to sign him. 

Boston fans' ears perked up when Fox Sports' Jon Morosi reported the Nationals "are willing to trade Stephen Strasburg" if they land Max Scherzer. After bringing the ex-Tigers ace aboard, those same ears burned more furiously when USA Today's John Perrotto passed along the buzz that Strasburg and the Nationals "both believe it is time to move on."

While I hate to be a wet blanket, Strasburg is a pipe dream.

Nationals de facto co-owner Scott Boras (who the The Washington Post's Barry Svrluga notes represents Strasburg, Scherzer, Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth) isn't going to let the addition of one of his clients force out another prominent name he represents.

General manager Mike Rizzo didn't shut down Strasburg in 2012, when the Nationals had legitimate World Series aspirations, in an attempt to protect his long-term investment only to trade the phenom before his 27th birthday.

Then there's the fact that Boras adamantly refuted the USA Today report on Wednesday, saying, "Strasburg wants to play [in D.C.] and wants to be with Max Scherzer and grow." I'm sorry, people, but a Strasburg who is under team control for another two seasons is not for sale. 

However, the Scherzer acquisition did make two other notable Nationals starting pitchers very much expendable: Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister. Those are the top names Boston should try and poach to bolster their uninspiring staff. 

If I were running the team from South Capitol Street Southeast, I wouldn't entertain the idea of dealing Zimmermann. But Fox Sports' Morosi is all over the story, reporting Washington has been in trade talks with "multiple" teams about the man who finished fifth in the 2014 NL Cy Young voting.

While I'd go all-in for the World Series this season with possibly one of the 10 best starting rotations ever, it's worth reiterating that this franchise is still run by the same people who looked big picture and shut down Strasburg in 2012.

After shelling out $210 million for Scherzer, and with Strasburg and Harper megadeals looming, it appears highly likely that Zimmermann will be pitching elsewhere in 2016.

If the 28-year-old departs in free agency, the Nationals will receive a compensation draft pick. However, considering the return Zimmermann could generate on the trade market and what we know about Washington's decision-makers, I truly believe he's available. 

If Zimmermann is dealt, Washington plugs Tanner Roark (2.85 ERA in 198.2 innings in 2014) back into the rotation, stocks the farm system with talent and remains the team to beat in 2015. Scherzer, Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Fister and Roark would still be the preeminent starting staff in baseball.

Nobody has a better heart of the order than the Nationals. Theirs is headlined by the ascending Harper (.289 average, 14 home runs after the 2014 All-Star break, including postseason) and features Rendon, Werth, a healthy Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond in a contract year.

Couple that roster construction sans Zimmermann with a forward-thinking organization looking to set itself up for the next decade rather than next season, and I'd actually be surprised if the two-time All-Star remains in D.C.

So what would it take to pry Zimmermann away from Ted Lerner's ballclub? Start with Boston's No. 1 prospect, Blake Swihart, throw in second baseman Sean Coyle for the middle-infield needy Nationals (.295 average, 16 home runs in 97 Games at Double-A in 2014) and cap it off with a potential leadoff hitter in speedy outfielder Manuel Margot (Boston's No. 7 prospect) or pitcher Brian Johnson (Beantown's No. 5 prospect). 

That may sound too costly to those who make the common mistake of overvaluing prospects, but Zimmermann is surely worth that kind of haul if Boston signs him to an extension. He's pitched 770 innings over the past four seasons, going 53-33 with a 3.00 ERA, a 3.18 fielding independent pitching (FIP) mark and a 1.117 WHIP.

FanGraphs shows how the righty attacks hitters with a steady diet of fastballs, where he consistently sits a hair under 94 mph and can reach back to get 97 when he needs it. He mixes in a slider and a curveball and will occasionally throw in a changeup to keep hitters off-balance.

Coming off of a career-year and with only 905 innings on his arm (including postseason), Zimmermann's the best long-term investment option of any starting pitcher who is actually attainable. 

If the Nationals refuse to move the 2007 second-round pick or their asking price is too astronomical, Doug Fister is a pretty good Plan B. He'll turn 31 in a couple of weeks and is also an unrestricted free agent in 2016, making him movable from the Nationals' perspective, given their rotation depth.

Over the course of his six-year career, the ground-ball pitcher sports a 3.34 ERA and a 3.53 FIP, and he has shown impeccable control (1.7 walks per nine innings in 982.2 career innings). Because of his age and lack of power stuff (his average fastball velocity is in the 88 to 89 mph range), the package it would take to fetch Fister is probably significantly cheaper than what Washington would want for Zimmermann.

Acquiring a strong starter who borders on being a weak ace when it's unlikely to cost upper-echelon prospects is intriguing. Pairing the aforementioned Johnson (10-2, 1.75 ERA, 0.932 WHIP in 118 Double-A innings last season) with slick-fielding shortstop Deven Marrero (Red Sox's No. 9 prospect) could entice the Nationals to pull the trigger. 

So don't be fooled by Ben Cherington telling The Boston Globe he doesn't envision a "headline-grabbing" move before spring training. The GM isn't going to hurt his bargaining position by freely admitting he's hunting big fish.

You don't undergo a drastic roster overhaul with high-priced signings and multiple trades to not finish the job by getting a No. 1 starter. He's surely making calls to the nation's capital, and the Red Sox would be fortunate to land either of the rotation options D.C. has to offer.

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