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

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 20: Sean Doolittle #63 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Nationals Park on June 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 20: Sean Doolittle #63 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Nationals Park on June 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – APRIL 04: Shane Greene #61 of the Detroit Tigers throws a ninth inning pitch while playing the Kansas City Royals during Opening Day at Comerica Park on April 04, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 5-4. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – APRIL 04: Shane Greene #61 of the Detroit Tigers throws a ninth inning pitch while playing the Kansas City Royals during Opening Day at Comerica Park on April 04, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 5-4. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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.

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