The Red Sox could look to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline
The arms race is heating up in the final week before the MLB trade deadline and the Boston Red Sox are firmly in the mix for upgrades to their starting rotation.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports that the Red Sox are among seven contenders who are active in the starting pitching trade market.
Sources: At least 7 contenders are active in the starting pitching market now, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Astros, and Phillies. Should be a fascinating week ahead of Friday's @MLB Trade Deadline. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 26, 2021
The list also includes the division rival New York Yankees, who appear intent on buying at the deadline despite sitting nine games behind Boston in the AL East. The Yankees are within striking distance of a Wild Card spot so they aren’t going away. The other American League team mentioned in Morosi’s report is the Houston Astros. They enter the day tied with Boston for the league’s best record and represent a potential playoff opponent.
The trade market could feature several appealing starters, with Max Scherzer, Jose Berrios, Kyle Gibson, and German Marquez included in the collection of All-Stars who have been in the rumor mill lately. Not all of them will necessarily be traded though. Even with some mid-tier options who can still make a difference likely becoming available this week, the demand might outweigh the supply. Acquiring one of these coveted arms could be motivated just as much by the desire to keep them away from the competition as it is to improve their own rotation.
They say you can never have too much pitching but is another starter really a priority for the Red Sox? Chris Sale’s long-awaited return from surgery provides a better upgrade than any contender can make at this year’s trade deadline.
Boston’s rotation has been far more formidable than anyone expected. While their collective 4.38 ERA seems underwhelming, Red Sox starters are seventh in the majors with a 3.83 FIP and sixth with 9.3 WAR, per FanGraphs. Of course they could be better but is it worth the cost to upgrade an area that isn’t viewed a a weakness?
Teams can get by with a four-man rotation in the playoffs. The Red Sox could roll out a rotation of Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez and Nick Pivetta in October. Which one of those pitchers are you kicking out of the rotation if they add another starter at the deadline?
Martin Perez, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock provide vital depth for the rotation and they can contribute a few innings out of the bullpen so that Boston won’t need to push their starters too deep into games.
The Red Sox are currently utilizing a six-man rotation and they expect to get Sale back in a couple of weeks. Depth is important but starting pitching doesn’t appear to be a significant need for this team. An upgrade at first base, another utility option to fortify the bench or a late-inning bullpen arm would be greater priorities.
Boston will almost certainly pass the luxury tax threshold with any move they make but they aren’t likely to blow $20+ million beyond the line to land in the second-tier of penalties. They also have a limited number of trade chips if they intend to hang on to their best prospects. They have room to make upgrades but they can’t necessarily afford to address everything. Since another starter doesn’t appear to be their biggest need and potentially would be the most expensive to acquire, it’s hard to see them making a splashy move to add to the rotation.
It doesn’t hurt to check out the market though. If nothing else, their perceived interest might help drive up the price for the other contenders. The Red Sox should do their due diligence to evaluate the market but we shouldn’t expect this rumor to mean the Red Sox are hunting for a new ace to lead their rotation.