Red Sox trade deadline deals give little return on pitching prospects

Where are the Boston Red Sox pitching prospects via trades?

Clara Peller was a character actress whose most successful role was in a commercial shouting “Where’s the beef!” I may be soon shouting “Where’s the pitching!” Of course, the Boston Red Sox have picked up pitching when Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree were exchanged for Nick Pavetta and Connor Seabold. Pavetta, and it somewhat rhymes with a pinata, brings to Boston statistical evidence that is not metrics shattering. This is not Walter Johnson. He is Canadian so maybe he’ll be another Fergie Jenkins? Jenkins did go 22-21 in Boston on the way to the HOF.

Seabold has promise but even in the dreadful Red Sox system, Seabold is ranked 23rd. To place that in perspective Noah Song is ranked sixth and will not pitch until after the 2021 season. There is a grand total of seven pitching prospects in the system ranked ahead of Seabold who is considered back end of the rotation or bullpen fodder.

Mitch Moreland was tossed to the Padres for two position players. One player, Hudson Potts, appears quite similar to Bobby Dalbec and Michael Chavis only with a less impressive resume. The second player, Jeisson Rosario, is a work in progress and also a position player. The Red Sox have produced a lengthy list of position players since they last had a pitcher of reasonable talent come forward and produce – think Jon Lester.

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There is also the Mookie Betts “trade” in which Boston took onboard two prospects who were not pitchers, but we did give up a faux pitcher in David Price. Maybe the Dodgers were not ready to part with Josiah Gray but Brusdar Graterol was part of the original package via Minnesota, but instead ended up with the Blue. The Dodgers certainly have a bevy of arms and that may be a far better long term option than Connor Wong and Jeter Downs – two more position players.

Meanwhile just before the closing of the trading deadline the Red Sox made a collection of PTBNL for outfielder Kevin Pillar and pitcher Josh Osich. Neither should bring much in the way of a prospect when the final negotiations take place at seasons end.

Chaim Bloom has certainly made inroads in the slate of barely desirable pitchers. The philosophy employed is fairly standard among management types and that is to get as many as possible and one may stick with so far only Phillips Valdez showing anything to click your cleats over.

The dealin’ ain’t done for sure. The Red Sox have a plan in motion and plenty of little chips have disappeared after Betts and Price departed. This winter may be a time when another small chip or two is wrapped up and shipped elsewhere, but the blue chips remain anchored in Boston for the time being. Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers could be the building blocks or on the trading blocks.