Red Sox hope their offseason has produced a deeper pitching staff and (maybe) a 6-man rotation

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox, who struggled to come up with five dependable starting pitchers last season, are considering a six-man rotation in 2025.

“We have had some conversations,” Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow said Monday in his first comments since trading for starter Garrett Crochet and signing free agents Patrick Sandoval and Walker Buehler.

“We’re very, very open to a number of solutions,” Breslow said. “I don’t think it’s possible to have too much starting pitching depth, and we know we’re going to call on more than just five guys — whether that’s right out of the gates or at some point during the season. But the schedule early in the season potentially lends itself to maybe using a sixth starter.”

The Red Sox entered last season down two potential aces, having traded eventual NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale to Atlanta just before Lucas Giolito blew out his elbow in spring training, causing him to miss the entire season. While the team hovered on the verge of contention near the All-Star break, its starting pitching was stretched thin in the second half, dragging the bullpen down with it and leaving the club out of the playoffs for the third straight season.

But Breslow has loaded up on starters this winter.

In a trade announced during the winter meetings, the Red Sox got Crochet from the Chicago White Sox for four prospects. The hard-throwing lefty was 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts for a Chicago team that went 41-121 — the most losses for any club since 1900.

Since then the Red Sox have also signed Buehler, a two-time All-Star who was on the mound when the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the World Series, and Sandoval, who is recovering from elbow surgery.

“I think it gave us a chance to take a really good rotation and potentially catapult it into an elite level,” Breslow said on a call with reporters.

Buehler, 30, went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA during the 2024 regular season after missing the previous year recovering from Tommy John surgery. But in the postseason, he was 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA and one save, coming on in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the Series against the New York Yankees and retiring the side in order, striking out the last two batters to protect a 7-6 lead.

Sandoval, 28, went 2-8 with a 5.08 ERA for the Los Angeles Angels before tearing his UCL in June on a pitch to Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. “We’re hopeful he’s going to be able to help this team in the second half,” Breslow said.

The newcomers join a stable that already included Giolito, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock.

“We feel like we’ve got not just five or six starters, but eight or 10,” Breslow said. “We’ve got to feel pretty good about where we are now.”

Breslow said he now turns his attention to balancing out Boston’s lefty-heavy lineup and shoring up the bullpen. What’s not on the table — at least for now — is trading 24-year-old first baseman Triston Casas, who batted .241 with 13 homers and 32 RBIs while missing almost two months with torn cartilage in his rib cage.

“We’re not shopping Triston. We’re really excited for him to be completely healthy," Breslow said. “When you have really good young players, I don’t think it’s a surprise other teams may ask about him.”

Trading Casas would allow the Red Sox to move Rafael Devers, who has committed 141 errors in 951 games at third base, across the diamond.

“Raffy is our third baseman,” Breslow said. “That said, we’ll be open-minded, we’ll be creative in how we put together our best roster. Bus as things stand right now, Raffy's our third baseman.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Cam Booser throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Aug. 6, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

FILE - Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval (43) delivers against the against the Texas Rangers in the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez, File)

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler throws against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning in Game 5 of the baseball World Series, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Bobby McMann scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal late in the third period, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Thursday night.

Joseph Woll stopped 32 shots as the Maple Leafs topped the Islanders for the second time this week and won for the third time in four games.

Scott Mayfield scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves in the Islanders' third straight loss.

Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech was called for a tripping penalty which set up the power play that McMann and Toronto capitalized on to get the winning goal with 2:59 remaining.

The Islanders poured on the pressure in the final minutes but Woll preserved the Maple Leafs' win.

McMann opened the scoring at 10:43 of the second, and Mayfield tied it with 1:45 remaining in the period.

Islanders: Twenty-year-old Islanders defenseman Isaiah George left the game in the second period when he caught an elbow from Max Domi and did not return.

Maple Leafs: Toronto assistant coach Lane Lambert returned to UBS arena for the first time since being fired by the Islanders on Jan. 20, 2024. Lambert originally came to New York with Barry Trotz in 2018 and then took over behind the bench when Trotz was fired in 2022.

Mitch Marner gave his right-handed stick to left-handed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson after his stick broke, but the Maple Leafs' defenseman was unable to clear the puck out of the defensive zone on his off hand. That turnover led to the Islanders scoring the tying goal late in the second period.

The Islanders allowed the opening goal for the 12th time in 14 games and are 5-8-1 in that span.

Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Domi (11) fights for control of the puck with New York Islanders' Bo Horvat (14) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) fights for control of the puck with New York Islanders' Pierre Engvall (18) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) celebrates with teammates after an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty (67) and Mitch Marner (16) celebrate with teammates after a goal by Bobby McMann during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) protects the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)