Red Sox Rumors: 5 relief pitchers to target before the MLB trade deadline

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BOSTON, MA – APRIL 17: Dave Dombrowski the President of Baseball Operations of the Boston Red Sox walks towards the dugout during batting practice before a game against the Toronto Blue Jaysat Fenway Park on April 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Blue Jays won 5-3. (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images) /

After a terrible first half for the Boston relievers, there’re plenty of needs. Here, we go over some potential candidates to boost the Red Sox bullpen.

Following an extremely tedious first half, the Boston Red Sox bullpen staff is in need of a long overdue upgrade. With the July 31 trade deadline now just four weeks away, Dave Dombrowski has his work cut out for himself, whilst targeting any potential help that this turgid pen can get. There’re many needs when it comes to Red Sox relief pitching, however, right now, I’m sure most fans will take anything they can get.

In this article, we’ll go over five potential targets that the Sox could go after in the next couple of weeks and what they’d be able to bring to a team that’s had a shock to the system, in terms of the start to their World Series defense.

There are some who could cost more than others and some who could be harder to get than others. However, the list consists of proven relievers who could bring that much-needed firepower to the Red Sox bullpen for the remainder of this season and, ultimately, could prove the difference in making a real run for the postseason.

Dombrowski has stated that the plan is to not add to the volume of an already gigantic payroll, but there are plenty of viable options out there who could be attainable at this time of the year.

* All stats entering the day Wednesday, 7/3/2019

Felipe Vazquez

With four years left on his contract following this season, Felipe Vazquez is a more costly option in terms of both payroll and any potential trade.

As a proven MLB relief pitcher, the left-hander has had a terrific first half to the 2019 season. He’s currently carrying a 2.00 ERA through his first 33 appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates and has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the National League.

Nearing the age of 28, Vazquez is in the prime of his career and would likely take a hefty haul to persuade the Pirates to ship him up to Boston. Whether or not the front office will want to offload prospects will have a huge effect on the caliber of bullpen help that the Sox can get this summer.

With a WHIP of 1.083, Vazquez would give Boston a sure-fire arm at the most important periods of the game. He’d be effective coming in to clean up a game and he can provide a bridge to other relievers.

It’ll be a tough acquisition to make. However, he’s a player that would be worth giving up a few pieces for. He’s such a versatile pitcher who is also in the top eight for saves in the entire MLB with nineteen. And it’s pretty obvious that the Red Sox need somebody who can actually close out games for them.

Will Harris

This one’s a longshot and the one who’s least unlikely to be available out of the five. Will Harris, of the Houston Astros, is now in his eighth major league season and is, statistically, having his best year yet at the veteran age of 34.

Harris has had a stellar career out of the pen and was rewarded with an All-Star appearance during a tremendous personal 2016 campaign. A World Series champion in ’17, Harris is still proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the American League.

It’s highly unlikely that the Astros will want to sell one of their premier relievers to an AL rival but if the Sox offered an intriguing prospect or two, it’s viable that a trade could be worked out. Now, I’m not expecting the Sox to go all out for a guy who’s on the wrong end of 34. However, if they want the best of the best for the rest of the year then it’s hard to look much further than Harris, who has only given up five earned runs on the season. Harris has the ability that will transcend this current bullpen.

Shane Greene

There hasn’t been a more dominant reliever than Shane Greene this season. Leading the AL in ERA by fourteen points at 0.87 (minimum 20 innings pitched), Greene has been unhittable for Detroit.

With 33 strikeouts and just 9 walks, Greene can do anything out of the pen. He’s allowed just three runs – all homers – making it his best season to date by a mile and earning him an All-Star berth in this year’s game.

Greene will have been monitored by any contenders, and will likely have a lot of teams try to trade for him in the next few weeks. A rebuilding Tigers team would be wise to offload him for a few prospects.

What the Red Sox would be willing to trade is unknown, but with a pretty thin farm system due to trades in years gone by, it’s crucial that the front office get a sufficient balance between the present and the future. But, there’s no question that Greene would be a great fit to get this bullpen back to where it wants to be. Especially if Sox are going to make a run at the Wild Card and ultimately try to stay in the division race.

CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 08: Brad Hand #33 of the Cleveland Indians pitches against the New York Yankees in the ninth inning at Progressive Field on June 8, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Yankees 8-4.(Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images) /

2. Brad Hand

Brad Hand‘s combination of his fastballs and his slider make him one of the most effective late-inning guys in the game. Although he is on a bigger contract than what would be desired, Hand is definitely a bullpen arm that’s worth giving up a couple of pieces for and could prove to be the vital guy that the Red Sox need after not getting over the losses of Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly yet.

Sean Doolittle

Many beat writers have talked about the possibility of the Red Sox pursuing Washington’s relief pitcher, Sean Doolittle. The lefty has had a solid career in the majors as a bullpen guy and could be a perfect fit for the Sox. Although he has had blips during the year, he’s still been effective and better than most of the options that Boston currently have.

In the final year of his contract with Washington, the Nats could be eager to try to get something for the veteran. Competing with the likes of Philly and Atlanta, the Nationals have an outside chance of making the playoffs, but it isn’t exactly likely.

There’s a real opening for Boston to go and get their guy here. It probably wouldn’t command too much to get a deal done in the coming weeks. And an expiring contract would give the payroll that Dombrowski has mentioned no pressure. The Sox could simply let him walk in the offseason, but he would be essential for the rest of this year.

Three Up, Three down heading into the break. dark. Next

It’s more obvious than ever that the Sox need to go and get more arms to bolster this pen – it’s been the difference in the race for the AL East title and has held this defending World Series champions back throughout the season. Whether or not the Sox go for either of these isn’t known, however, they’re all viable names that could help this side push on their championship defense.

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