6 MLB All-Stars that could be Red Sox by the trade deadline
The Boston Red Sox are going to have to swing big to move the needle and make a real playoff push.
We are about a week out from the trade deadline and Boston Red Sox have worked themselves into a position where they have a case to be buyers. As of 7/24, they are just two games back in the AL wild card race and 8.5 games back in the brutal AL East. That certainly isn't ideal, but Boston is definitely within striking distance.
The issue with Boston being buyers at the trade deadline is that they have to make some substantial trades to move the needle enough to contend. Gathering up a couple rental 5th starters isn't gonna get the job done even with Trevor Story seemingly close to returning and the team playing pretty well at the moment.
Sure, a couple minor bullpen upgrades and starter depth pieces would be nice, but Boston has to make up some significant ground against some really good teams to make the playoffs this season. If they are going to go for it, they are going to have to push their chips in for some high end talent.
Here are 6 MLB All-Stars that could be Red Sox by the trade deadline
For this exercise, the focus is going to be solely on players that have been named to All-Star teams who are also potentially available at the trade deadline this year. Would it be sweet to trade for Mike Trout and Zac Gallen? Of course, but those guys aren't going to be available for a number of reasons. The idea here is to dream big, but not be completely pie-in-the-sky thinking.
Lets take a look at the All-Stars that the Red Sox could trade for by the trade deadline.
Lucas Giolito
Lucas Giolito is easily the most mentioned starting pitcher trade target this year that fits the criteria here as he made the AL All-Star team back in 2019. He hasn't been amazing this season, but Giolito is still striking out batters at a 9.7 K/9 rate and could benefit from a change of scenery.
There is no question that Giolito will be available at the deadline as the White Sox are one of the few guaranteed sellers this year and he is a pending free agent. However, the biggest hurdle to Boston acquiring him is that this is definitely a seller's market and Chicago is going to be fielding a LOT of strong offers for Giolito from all over the league.
Justin Verlander
No one is confused as to why Justin Verlander is eligible for consideration here. The Mets collapse in the first half this year has been well documented and they now find themselves closer to having the worst record in the NL this year than they are to a playoff spot. Also, Verlander's track record as one of the best pitchers of his generation is well-documented and he has pitched much better lately.
It does sound like the Mets are at least entertaining the idea of moving Verlander, but there are some problems here. First, he has a full no trade clause and there is no guarantee whatsoever that he is going to be willing to go to Boston or anywhere else for that matter. The other issue is that the Mets are going to want to try and compete next season and Verlander is under contract through 2024 with a vesting option for 2025. Not only is signing up for that level of a financial commitment to an older pitcher not a no-brainer for Boston, but the Mets may also not be willing to actually move him unless they get big league ready talent back for him so they can make a run in 2024.
Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman is an interesting case because while he is a two-time All-Star, the Cubs are fringe playoff contenders this year despite being three games below .500. However, at five games out of the wild card and 6.5 games out in the NL Central, the smart money does seem to be that the Cubs will sell at the deadline and Stroman could command a premium for them as one of the better starting pitchers on the market.
Stroman is great at getting a lot of groundballs and usually throws a lot of strikes, but he has seen his walk rate spike a bit this season. His contract also muddies the water a bit as he has a player option for 2024 and while he seems to love living in Chicago, it is pretty unclear as to whether or not he will exercise that option. That makes placing a trade value on him pretty tricky given that teams won't know how long he will actually be with the team.
Shohei Ohtani
Okay, okay...this one may be more in the realm of a pipe dream than the others, but Ohtani's presence on the trade market cannot be ignored. While signing Ohtani to a long-term deal is an extreme longshot given that it appears as though he strongly prefers to stay on the West Coast, Boston has the prospects to make a competitive offer for Shohei.
The trick, of course, is whether or not the Angels actually decide to trade him. At the moment, they are still talking with other teams about potential trade packages for Shohei. However, they aren't going to make any decisions about actually trading him until at least a couple days before the trade deadline and the Angels are actually playing pretty well right now. There is also a certain amount of skepticism that the Angels want to be known as the team that traded away a generational talent like Ohtani.
Tim Anderson
While acquiring an outfielder is a possibility especially if the Red Sox do end up trading Adam Duvall, acquiring an infielder seems more likely and Chicago's Tim Anderson fits here as a two-time All-Star. Anderson has looked like a shadow of his usual self in 2023 as he has seen his wRC+ drop 60 points this season, but he has been a 2.0 fWAR or better player the last five seasons.
Boston would have to do their due diligence with his physicals if they were going to make this move as has had some recent injury issues. However, the upside is huge here if Boston can get him turned around and he has a very reasonable club option for 2024 that the Red Sox could exercise if he plays well.
Michael Lorenzen
This is a funny one because Michael Lorenzen even being named an All-Star this season was basically because there was no one else on the Tigers was worthy other than the injured Eduardo Rodriguez. However, that doesn't mean that Lorenzen couldn't be an intriguing option for Boston at the trade deadline.
He is a pending free agent making a very reasonable $8.5 million this season. While his peripherals don't jump off the page, he has still posted a 3.49 ERA so far this season in 17 starts. He doesn't miss a lot of bats, but he throws a lot of strikes and has succeeded this season despite one of the worst groundball rates of his career. There is room for upside here and assuming Detroit's asking price is reasonable, Boston could do a lot worse than Lorenzen.