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The question surrounding the Boston Red Sox this winter is not so much whether they need an ace, but how they will look to acquire one. In some ways, the Red Sox starting rotation overperformed expectations this season. The homegrown trio of Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello all made 30-plus starts, and the rotation as a whole ranked sixth in starter ERA in Major League Baseball.

However, even with Houck making his first career All-Star team, it was clear what the Red Sox lacked was a true number-one starter. Someone to take the ball every fifth day and set the tone for the entire pitching staff, and who could be counted on to go deep into every start. Now, the Red Sox are faced with trying to find that reliable ace this winter, and they could look to the trade market or free agency as parallel solutions.

Tyler Milliken of 98.5 The Sports Hub predicted recently that a trade will be the ultimate solution. He proposed the Red Sox could swing a blockbuster deal for Chicago White Sox All-Star Garrett Crochet, who led the American League in strikeouts before the midseason break this year.

“It’s hard to guess how the money will be allocated, but I’m going to bet on the rotation acquisition coming via trade,” Milliken said. “Let’s go with a blockbuster for Crochet, (whose) projected Arbitration total is $2.9 MM.”

There are benefits and drawbacks to all of the potential Red Sox ace options, and the most obvious benefit to Crochet is his affordable short-term salary. Compared to free agents like Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, or Max Fried, Crochet’s seven-figure payroll hit is a drop in the bucket.

On the other hand, acquiring a pitcher whose 146 innings pitched represented a career-high by nearly 100 innings is a serious gamble. Crochet looked dominant in the first half of the season, but he was much less effective while throwing far fewer innings after the All-Star break. Plus, the White Sox will want the world for him.

There’s no doubt that the Red Sox have to do something, and Crochet is certainly one of the options on the table. We’ll have to first wait and see if he’s the option they go with, and then if he ends up becoming the right choice.