Although much of the conversation this offseason has centered around Juan Soto, Snell is arguably the most coveted starter on the market. The Red Sox already have met with Soto, leaving him impressed. However, pitching — particularly a top-tier starter —remains the focal point of the Sox’ to-do list.

The Red Sox were somewhat lightly linked to Snell’s market when he was a free agent last year, as while reports suggested the Sox had some level of interest in the left-hander, other pitchers like Aaron Nola and Jordan Montgomery were ahead of Snell on Boston’s wish list.