Red Sox Predictions: Boston will acquire Sonny Gray
Pitching has been the downfall of the Boston Red Sox in 2016, and a deal for Sonny Gray is in store before the deadline.
The Boston Red Sox are in dire need of pitching, starters and relievers alike. Rumors will fly high throughout July leading up to the trade deadline on August 1 with the Red Sox struggling through the month of June. Boston needs a starter (or two) to try and reset the script on the 2016 pitching rotation.
David Price was purchased for a pretty penny in the offseason, with very little (4.74 ERA) to show for his lucrative contract. Rick Porcello has fared better this season with a 9-2 record behind a 3.78 ERA. It’s knuckleballer Steven Wright who has been the clear standout in an underwhelming starting rotation. Wright’s ERA increased to 2.18 after giving up eight runs (three earned) in Texas during his last start, but still has to be considered for the All-Star game on July 12.
After the first three starters, it’s been a hodgepodge of injuries and streaky outings from pitchers like Clay Buchholz, Eduardo Rodriguez, Joe Kelly, and Henry Owens. Collectively, the Red Sox starters have the 22nd best ERA in MLB (4.79 ERA). There a few options outside of the organization for Boston, with none better than the 25-year old in Atlanta.
Julio Teheran is clearly the best option for Boston. His 3-7 record can almost be considered a hoax, as Teheran sports a 2.46 ERA with a staggering 0.89 WHIP. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the Atlanta Braves adamantly deny the young star’s availability on the trade market. Teheran’s contract is extremely club friendly and his performance is clearly peaking, which means the Red Sox would have had to give up multiple big name prospects for his services.
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With Teheran off the table, the prospect of a Sonny Gray and Rich Hill trade could be attractive to Boston. Gray has a had a disappointing year up to this point, but recently strung back-to-back solid outings together to bring his ERA down to 5.03 along with a 1.46 WHIP. It’s been a rough year so far for the 26-year old, but the same cannot be said for 36-year old Rich Hill. A former Red Sox player last season, Hill owns a 2.25 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP this year, and is due to return this weekend after being sidelined with a groin injury since late May.
Truth be told, the Red Sox did all they could this summer to sure up the pitching staff. Bringing in big names like Price and Craig Kimbrel were thought to sure up a weak 2015 group that ranked 25th in ERA (4.31). Instead, Boston’s pitching is holding back a red-hot offense, and things need to change quickly if the Sox want to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
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At this stage, the starting pitching market is extremely limited. The Red Sox are truly desperate for a starter (or two) and have only a few options. The Sonny Gray/Rich Hill option is the most appealing, and is a package I could see the Red Sox making a deal for. Dave Dombrowski doesn’t tolerate losing very well and a last ditch effort to obtain starting arms needs to be made in order to save the 2016 season. While there may be better options in the winter after 2016, Boston wants and needs to win now, and a Gray/Hill tandem may prove well for the second half of the season and beyond.