INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- A year ago, two major league teams obtained two front-line starters in off-season deals: the Washington Nationals landed Gio Gonzalez and the Arizona Diamondbacks got Trevor Cahill.
The deals proved one thing: for pitching-starved teams, it was possible to deal for top-notch upgrades for the starting rotation.
But the Red Sox are unlikely to follow suit in this regard, since such deals come at a steep price. The Nationals had to give up four highly-regarded prospects to get Gonzalez and the Diamondbacks did the same for Cahill.
The Sox aren't willing to sacrifice the cream of their prospects -- even if it could land them a top-of-the-rotation starter. Any such deal would mean the Sox would probably have to give up at least two of the following: infielder Xander Bogaerts; pitcher Matt Barnes; and outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
All three could be ready to contribute by 2014, and the Sox don't want to disrupt that plan.
That's not to suggest that there aren't quality pitchers available. The New York Mets would be willing to deal lefty Jon Niese, who is signed to a team-friendly deal worth 24 million over the next four years through 2016, with two more option years for 2017 and 2018.
But the two teams don't match up. The Mets need outfield help, and the Sox, of course, are in the same boat, with only Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Nava and Ryan Kalish under control for next season.
The Sox could be pursuaded to move Ellsbury in the right deal, but he wouldn't help the Mets, since they're rebuilding and Ellsbury is eligible for free agency after next season.
It's far more likely that the Sox address their pitching needs through free agency.
The free agent who most interests the Sox, according to sources, is Anibal Sanchez, who, of course, began his career with the Red Sox and was part of the 2005 trade with the Florida Marlins that saw the Red Sox get Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.
Sanchez would have been a popular option on the market this winter to begin with, but he further enhanced his value by pitching well for the Detroit Tigers in the final two months of the season and in the post-season.
In 12 regular season starts for the Tigers -- who obtained him at the deadline from the Marlins -- Sanchez posted a 3.74 ERA. In fact, after his first four starts -- three of which saw him allow five or more earned runs -- Sanchez really settled in and has a 2.15 ERA over his final eight starts.
Then, in the post-season, matched against top competition, Sanchez had a 1.77 ERA with one start each in the ALDS, ALCS and World Series. That seemed to answer any question about his ability to pitch in the American League.
Given Sanchez's age -- 28 -- he could well command a deal for four or five years. The Red Sox have plenty of money available, but whether they'd be willing to commit for that length is open to question.
Ben Cherington was the director of international scouting in 2001 when the Sox signed Sanchez out of Venezuela and, though he was acting as interim co-GM when the Sox included him in the deal for Beckett and Lowell, has always been a believer in Sanchez.