It's already been established that, above all else, Chaim Bloom values "sustainability'' for the Red Sox -- that is, putting the team in position to compete for a championship on an annual basis.
Toward that end, Bloom has spent his first two years on the job building up the talent base, deepening prospect inventory and aiming the Sox in the direction of the future.
But the team's surprising postseason showing -- coming within two wins of a pennant and six wins away from a title -- may give him additional latitude and change to that approach, at least a little bit, this offseason.
The Red Sox' starting rotation for 2022 is in relatively good shape. Chris Sale will be entering the season fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, with the benefit of a normal offseason to aid him. Nathan Eovaldi, who enjoyed one of his best seasons this past year, will return. Nick Pivetta made strides and should be a dependable mid-rotation option. And both Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck are poised to transition to the rotation after successful seasons.
Still, the Sox could use additional depth -- regardless of whether Eduardo Rodriguez, a free agent, returns or not.
Two veteran free agents -- both coming off Tommy John surgery themselves -- could serve as intriguing options: Justin Verlander and Noah Syndergaard.
Both would be short-term solutions for the Red Sox. Verlander will turn 39 in February, and as such, wouldn't warrant any sort of long-term commitment. That he's pitched just six innings over the last two seasons would further reduce his leverage.
Verlander could likely be signed for a modest base with a host of incentives, based on innings and games started. The risk would be minimal for the Sox, but the payoff is potentially substantial. If Verlander is either ineffective or suffers some sort of physical setback, the Sox would likely only be on the hook for the guaranteed base. If, however, he returns to anything close to his 2019 form, when he was the American League Cy Young Award winner, the Sox will have added a huge piece to their pitching puzzle.
It's not known what Verlander is thinking about where he'd like to pitch in 2022. It's possible he would be happy to return to Houston, where, despite the expected loss of Carlos Correa, the Astros should be good enough to again win the A.L. West. Verlander benefited greatly from the Astros' use of analytics after being traded there in 2017 and may wish to remain there, though the retirement of pitching maestro Brent Strom may make a reunion less attractive to him.
Syndergaard, who also is attempting to come back from Tommy John -- made two cameo appearances in September after encountering some setbacks earlier in the season -- is considerably younger at 29.
Moreover, Syndergaard is on record as expressing a clear preference to remain with the Mets, the only franchise for whom he's ever pitched in the big leagues. (Syndergaard was originally drafted by Toronto, but was traded to New York before reaching the majors).
"I'm fairly confident we'll reach an agreement and I'll be pitching here next year,'' Syndergaard told reporters in late September, adding that he was speaking out of "speculation,'' and "hopefulness.''
But the Mets, in case you haven't noticed, are a full-on dumpster fire. For the second straight winter, they haven't been able to get anyone interested in becoming their president of baseball operations. They also lack a general manager or a manager.
Based on the chronic dysfunction that has beset the franchise, perhaps Syndergaard could be convinced to sign elsewhere. The Red Sox, by contrast, offer some stability, with a management team solidly entrenched and stable ownership. And if Syndergaard can handle New York, then surely he would be able to adapt to the Boston market.
Because he's a full decade younger than Verlander, Syndergaard may be in position to demand a bigger base, and maybe even a multi-year commitment. In all likelihood, the Sox would probably want to limit their exposure to a one-year, incentive-filled deal, but would be OK with offering an option year. Anything longer would be too risky. And should the Mets make Syndergaard a qualifying offer, attaching draft pick compensation to him, that would be a deal-breaker for the Sox.
Neither Verlander nor Syndergaard would be tasked with becoming Boston's No. 1 starter. If they needed additional time in the spring to get ready, the Sox would have sufficient rotation depth to withstand that. And having guided Sale back from his own Tommy John procedure, the Sox have the proper support system already in place.
For some teams, the two veterans would represent too much uncertainty. But for a club like the Red Sox, with plenty of other options already on hand and perhaps a piece or two away from winning it all, either pitcher could be a key addition.