Waking up on Wednesday felt like the beginning of a nightmare for Red Sox Nation.

For the first time since June 11, the Boston Red Sox are a sub-.500 baseball team following their loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night. After showing promising signs of playoff involvement in the early summer, the Red Sox’s playoff chances dropped to 1.0%, according to FanGraphs.

The Red Sox have played 11 games under .500 since the All-Star break, and the pitchers are the most obvious culprit in their decline. By allowing four home runs on Tuesday night, the Boston team has allowed 90 home runs since the All-Star break. No other team has allowed 80 to date.

The Red Sox need a strong pitching addition before the 2025 season begins, so it’s always encouraging to hear their name alongside one of the most prominent pitching talent pools.

On Wednesday, MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand discussed the possibility of the Red Sox signing Baltimore Orioles star Corbin Burnes, the most sought-after pitcher on the free-agent market this winter.

“I think the Red Sox could be a team to keep an eye on,” Feinsand said. “Boston fans are starting to get a little restless.”

Jake Rill, Orioles reporter for MLB.com who has witnessed the Red Sox’s rise and fall within the division this summer, believes the Red Sox were also in play.

“I also think it could make a lot of sense for Burnes to go to Boston,” Rill said. “The Sox already have a solid rotation, and adding Burnes to the top of this team creates a pretty formidable group.”

However, Anthony DiComo, a New York Mets reporter for MLB.com, was far more skeptical.

“My standard answer to the Red Sox is, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it,'” DiComo said. “They just haven’t landed a real top free agent in so long.”

And when it came to the final rankings, neither Feinsand, Rill nor DiComo listed the Red Sox among their top four candidates for Burnes.

Realistically, there’s no good reason Boston shouldn’t sign Burnes. They’ve been under the luxury tax threshold for two years and should have at least $60 million to spend in salary before they hit that threshold in 2025.

Boston can easily bring in an amount like the $255.5 million that Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter projected for Burnes in July. Frankly, they’re the Boston Red Sox, and a payroll at or above the first threshold should be the expectation.

If the Red Sox are not considered serious bidders for Burnes this winter, there will be plenty of outraged fans speaking out by the time spring training begins.

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