In some other offseason we would have heard Lance Lynn's name being linked to the Red Sox for weeks upon weeks.
One of the best pitchers in the American League in 2020, Lynn was no longer going to remain on the rebuilding Rangers with his contract expiring after the 2021 season. But for a team that needed that top-of-the-rotation piece -- at just $8 million -- he was worth giving allocating some trade chips for.
But as much as we like to tie the Red Sox to every available big-name player this time of year, this one was too much of a stretch.
Yes, the Sox need pitching. That is the one bit of the blueprint they don't mind revealing. But there also is that "foundation" conversation that keeps coming up, suggesting that short-term solution are not going to take priority.
So when Lynn got dealt to the White Sox late Monday night for pitcher Dane Dunning and minor-league hurler Avery Weems it offered a reminder of the Red Sox' lot in life.
According to MLB Pipeline, Dunning is the 98th-ranked prospect in baseball (fifth-ranked in the White Sox system), two spots in front of Bobby Dalbec. You get the picture. The Red Sox aren't likely allocating Dalbec for what is likely a one-year go-round with Lynn.
Dunning is also a big-league ready hurler, with the former first-rounder bouncing back from Tommy John surgery to turn in a 2020 season that saw him go 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA in seven starts.
The Red Sox don't have that player. The closest they could probably come would be Tanner Houck, and the notion of dealing Houck for one year of Lynn hardly seem prudent at this juncture.
Times have changed. Team has changed. Welcome to a very different kind of Red Sox offseason.