Red Sox: Could a trade for Ken Giles cure the bullpen woes?

The Boston Red Sox are in serious need for bullpen help for the second half. Could a trade with a division rival give them what they need?

It’s no secret that the Red Sox are in dire need of pitching help if the second half of the season is going to lead to anything. With the trade deadline three weeks away the clock is ticking on Dave Dombrowski and the front office. As the deadline gets closer an option for Boston could be a deal with Toronto as they’re a non-factor this season and could quickly become sellers.

When the Jays get mentioned as far as trade talks are concerned most people will instantly go to Marcus Stroman. But as we all know, the Sox and Stroman aren’t exactly on each other’s Christmas Card lists. There’s another name that’s on the Toronto roster that can be a big plus for Boston though, and that’s closer Ken Giles.

Now, some of you reading this may be ready to toss your screens at the notion that a pitcher from Toronto can help the Sox. Well, at this point damn near anyone can be a solid addition to what’s going on in the bullpen. And when you look at Giles’ stats on this season he’s only run into trouble with ONE team, the Red Sox.

In 31 IP this season Giles has amassed a 1.45 ERA and has an ERA of 0.00 against every team that he’s faced except for two: Boston (5.68) and Minnesota (3.00). So considering the fact that he’s a damn machine against every team NOT named Boston makes him an ideal candidate for the Red Sox. Yeah, they’d be losing an opponent that they have been successful against but I’d much rather have a shutdown reliever/closer.

Though his record is just 1-2, it’s the 13 saves that I care about. Especially with the Red Sox having a ridiculous 18 blown saves this season. The real dilemma would arise when it comes down to what the Sox can give Toronto in return. They have a pretty young team and look like they want to continue trending in that direction. Boston doesn’t have much left in the farm system after past deals have been done so it could be tricky.

Recently we ran a poll on the BoSox Injection Twitter on who Red Sox Nation would offer up ahead of the trade deadline. We chose to list two outfielders and two infielders as that’s where the Sox have the most wealth on the main roster and in the system. A majority of voters said they would be willing to part ways with Michael Chavis if it gave the Sox a chance to bolster the lineup.

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I doubt Dombrowski would send off Chavis as it appears he’ll be the heir apparent to the first base throne once this season ends. But at the moment he is one of the pieces that could fetch Boston the biggest return prize. It’ll really come down to what kind of wizardry Dombrowski can pull off as we get closer to the deadline on July 31st.

There are some worries though when it comes to trading for a reliever as with much in this game, there’s a really good chance it may not work out. Just today the Red Sox released Tyler Thornburg who they had traded for in the winter of 2016 and gave up a hefty lot for. Sadly Thornburg never worked out in Boston and will go down as a bust.

Not all pitching trades are bad though, look at last year’s buzzer-beater that brought Nathan Eovaldi to the Red Sox. Not only did he wind up giving the Sox his all as a starter but would go on to be one of their most important players during the epic 2018 postseason run. Upon his return, it’s being reported that he will be placed in the bullpen as the closer.

It’s no secret that if the Red Sox want to make any noise in the second half of the season they’ll need some pitching help. There are three weeks left until the deadline and Dave Dombrowski is running out of time. If they’re looking for someone who can close down games when it matters the most, Ken Giles can be that guy.