The Boston Red Sox will be in the market for a starting pitcher or two when the offseason begins in a few days. Many experts and fans believe an ace should be their first priority.

There are two pitchers that come to mind at the top of this year’s free agent class — Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. A few other starters will be available, but the two aces up for grabs are a cut above the rest when it comes to consistency.

The Red Sox organization has the prestige and the money to sign one or both top-of-the-rotation starters, if it really wanted, but Boston will most likely pick one or neither. Former Red Sox and WEEI and NESN personality Lou Merloni believes Fried is a better fit for Boston.

“. . . If you can go out and sign a guy like Max Fried and bring him in here — [who] is a guy I think I’d rather have than Burnes . . . If you sign him, now, all of a sudden, you can start addressing other areas,” Merloni said on “The Fenway Rundown” podcast with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam.

“Maybe the trades aren’t a huge trade for a starting pitcher, maybe it’s a slightly big trade for a shutdown reliever or a closer or a power bat in the outfield, or whatever it may be.”

Former Red Sox Lou Merloni believes Max Fried is a better fit for Boston than Corbin Burnes

It sounds like Merloni believes signing an ace would solve the most problems in one fell swoop. Fried would bring experience to the rotation and be the consistent No. 1 starter the Red Sox have needed since Chris Sale’s injury woes began a few seasons ago.

Merloni argues that trading for an ace would require an excess of resources, which could be better used across multiple, smaller trades to improve the rest of the squad. Red Sox ownership has the money to sign a No. 1 starter, and this is the year to do it.

Fried would be a better fit for Boston’s rotation than Burnes because the former is left-handed. The Red Sox’s 2024 pitching staff comprised mostly righties, and Fried could bring some much-needed balance and diversity to the rotation.

Burnes has pitched to a 3.19 ERA with 1051 strikeouts and 241 walks over 903.2 innings in his seven-year career. Fried has posted a 3.07 ERA with 863 strikeouts and 246 walks over 884.1 innings in his eight years of service time. Burnes has the edge over Fried in terms of durability and strikeout rate, and keeping balls out of play in Fenway Park is key, but a lefty starter with Fried’s pedigree would go a long way for Boston.

Most Red Sox fans would be thrilled if Boston signed either Fried or Burnes, and both would become the undisputed ace of the squad. But, as they do with everything, each fan will have their first choice, and Fried’s left-handedness is enough to give him the edge in some fans’ eyes.