Here’s which free agent Boston.com readers want the Red Sox to sign

Now that the MLB offseason is finally here, several of baseball’s top free agents will soon be signing brand new contracts.

Some of these free agents already have. Aaron Nola agreed to stay in Philadelphia for seven years and $172 million, and Sonny Gray is expected to sign a three-year, $75 million contract to play for the St. Louis Cardinals as of Monday. Nola and Gray are the first of two players that will find themselves with brand new contracts or even new teams before winter ends.

Every year, Bostonians across the city hope that at least one of the many talented free agents still available will sign their next contract with the Red Sox. But no two fans have the same winter wishlist. Some fans want the team to sign some good pitchers and hitters, while others would be content with a single elite starter.

To gauge the general hopes and preferences of Red Sox fans this offseason, we asked Boston.com readers which free agent they want the Red Sox to sign if they could only have one. Over 500 readers responded with their thoughts, and it seems that most of them have their hearts set on one particular name.

“[Yoshinobu Yamamoto] will be someone you want to see at Fenway Park!” Scott B. from Milton, Vt. said. “Show him the money!”

Fifty-six percent of readers said that if the Red Sox could only sign one free agent this offseason, they would choose Yamamoto. And after the season he had with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), it’s easy to see why. Yamamoto finished his season with a 1.21 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with 145 strikeouts in 164 innings pitched.

But Yamamoto’s stats, while impressive, aren’t why most readers are eager to see him pitch in Boston. What excites them most about Yamamoto is his age.

“Yamamoto is a great pitcher and just 25 years old,” Mario from Ludlow said.

At 25, Yamamoto has already established himself as one of the best pitchers in the world. His many accolades reflect his dominance, as he has won three Triple Crowns, three Sawamura Awards (NPB’s equivalent to the Cy Young Award), and he is likely to win his third-straight Pacific League MVP Award as well.

The accolades, the attention and the stats attached to the young Yamamoto’s name make one thing very clear: he has potential to be one of the best starting pitchers in baseball for many years.

“I picture him as the same as Pedro [Martinez] in the late 90s and early 2000s,” Andrew S. from Amesbury said. “He would be dominating.”

While Yamamoto will be playing in MLB for the first time next season, fans are very familiar with the free agent that came in second: Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez pitched in Boston from 2015-2021, and 20% of readers would like to see him come back if they only had one choice.

But readers’ reasons for wanting Rodriguez back go beyond his history with the Red Sox. He finished 2023 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.153 WHIP while recording 143 strikeouts in 152.2 innings pitched. At age 30, Rodriguez has several years of quality baseball left in him and is also expected to earn less money than Yamamoto would, meaning that welcoming him back on a reasonable deal could end up being a relatively low-risk, high-reward decision.

“[Rodriguez is] young, cheaper than the others, strong fighter on mound,” Bobby from Canton said. “[He] was effective with [the Red] Sox.”

From a player that Red Sox fans are familiar with to a player that all of baseball is familiar with, nearly 16% of readers would sign Shohei Ohtani, the face of baseball, if they could only choose one free agent. The two-way superstar just finished a season in which he pitched to a 3.14 ERA and a 1.061 WHIP in 132 innings and led all of baseball in OPS (1.066), OPS+ (184) and slugging (.654) while leading the American League in home runs (44), OBP (.412) and total bases (325).

The appeal of signing this year’s unanimous AL MVP is obvious. He’s a game-changer with a ball or a bat in his hand.

“[Ohtani] has proven himself to be the best in MLB,” William from Albion, Mich. said.

“[Ohtani is] Babe Ruth 2.0,” Joey P. from Athol said.

Despite how good Ohtani is, signing him comes with some drawbacks. Ohtani received surgery to repair the UCL in his throwing arm, which he tore in August. This means that he won’t pitch in 2024, and some fans are worried that the injury will affect his pitching in the future.

“Uncertainty about whether Shohei will pitch well again,” Kathy R. from Essex Junction, Vt., who voted for Yamamoto, said. “Otherwise it would have been Ohtani, who, to be honest, will bring in enough revenue to justify his salary.”

That salary will be nothing short of astronomical. Ohtani could potentially receive the largest contract in sports history within a few months, one that could surpass half a billion dollars. He undoubtedly deserves it, but some fans doubt that the Red Sox should be the ones to give it to a two-way player who won’t pitch next season and, at 29 years old, might not be nearly as productive by the end of his almost-certain decade-plus-long contract.

“I would think about Ohtani,” Michael S. from Bradenton, Fla., who voted for Yamamoto, said, “but am worried about being financially handcuffed in the future. 

Some Sox fans are hesitant to sign Ohtani from a short-term perspective as well. The Red Sox have a fantastic offense with questionable pitching, and to those fans, it doesn’t make sense to have a player who can hit exceptionally well but won’t pitch next season take up that much of the Red Sox’ money.

“Though I love Ohtani’s all around game, he won’t pitch in 2024,” David from Newport Beach, who voted for Yamamoto, said. The Sox’ offense will be fine without him.”

But to some fans, the potential of Ohtani returning to his dominant self in 2025 is enough to consider signing him.

“If [the Red Sox] miss on basically everyone, and Ohtani is the consolation prize,” Andrew from Washington D.C. said, “I’d deal with mediocre pitching for the 2024 season just to have the ability to roll out with Shohei as our No. 1 or No. 2 come the 2025 season.”

Ohtani’s play may be hampered next season, but his influence will certainly not. He’s one of the most recognizable faces in baseball and perhaps its biggest global icon, which fans hope the Red Sox can use to help extend the sport’s reach worldwide.

“With Ohtani in the lineup, the Red Sox could play a leadership role in expanding baseball around the globe,” Brian from Columbus, Ohio said.