The Boston Red Sox are rumored to be in the market for a starting pitcher and may trade for one before the deadline this month.
The back end of the rotation has been a problem for the Boston Red Sox this season but that may not be the case for much longer. With the MLB trade deadline looming at the end of this month, Boston is expected to be active.
The Red Sox have shuffled through a number of options to fill the No. 5 spot in their rotation this season to no avail. Nathan Eovaldi posted an undesirable 6.00 ERA in four starts before going on the injured list. In his absence, Brian Johnson, Darwinzon Hernandez, Hector Velazquez, Ryan Weber and Josh Smith have combined to go 2-7 with a 6.79 ERA.
Eovaldi is expected to join the bullpen when he returns after the break. While that hopefully will solve their issues with the closer role, it leaves a hole at the back of the rotation. The internal options have failed them so Boston will hit the trade market seeking an upgrade.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Red Sox are pushing to add a starting pitcher. While no names have been mentioned specifically, he notes the team is casting a wide net and would prefer to act fast.
#RedSox pushing to add a starting pitcher, sources tell The Athletic. Would prefer to act sooner rather than later. Casting wide net.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 8, 2019
Identifying a need is much easier than being able to do anything about it. The Red Sox are limited by ownership’s desire to stay out of the deepest luxury tax territory and a lack of trade chips in their farm system.
They don’t need to shell out a hefty salary or prospect haul for an ace though. The Red Sox need a serviceable back of the rotation piece who can eat innings and give them a shot to win every fifth day. That slot in the rotation has too often been left to pitchers who aren’t stretched out enough to make it through 5+ innings or performed so poorly that manager Alex Cora couldn’t leave them in that long.
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A “quality start” is defined as lasting 6+ innings while allowing three runs or fewer. The bare minimum for that requirement works out to a 4.50 ERA, which isn’t anything to get excited about. That type of pitcher shouldn’t be expensive yet if the Red Sox can add a starter who can get them quality starts, it would be a drastic upgrade over what they’ve been working with and it would help save their bullpen from getting burned out.
Last year, Boston traded for Eovaldi at the deadline. The cost of Jalen Beeks, their No. 15 prospect at the time, was a price the Red Sox can certainly afford again. Eovaldi proved to be a valuable cog in the rotation down the stretch and emerged as a postseason hero.
That’s probably a best-case scenario but it goes to show why they don’t need to swing for the fences with a blockbuster trade. A modest addition could be worth a couple of wins down the stretch to a team currently sitting two games out of a playoff spot.
The Red Sox still need to find a seller willing to sit down at the table. There should be plenty of suitable options on the market but teams shopping their starting pitchers may wait until we get closer to the deadline to drive up the price. The market may not move as quickly as Boston would prefer but at least they are trying to improve this pitching staff.