The Boston Red Sox have entered trade deadline buyer mode with their move to acquire veteran lefty James Paxton.
The Tampa Bay Rays have entered a clear sell mode with their first move before the deadline. They dished outfielder Randy Arozarena, who has multiple years remaining on his contract, to the Mariners. The two rivals may be able to help each other ... or so we thought.
Zach Eflin felt like a smart target for the Sox, who attempted to sign him back when the Rays got the free agent deal done back in 2022. But just as quickly as Boston fans thought it might be a fit, Eflin was traded in the division to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday evening.
Red Sox News: Potential trade target Zach Eflin dealt to Orioles before deadline
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 26, 2024
Baltimore Orioles receive: right-handed starter Zach Eflin
Tampa Bay Rays receive: outfielder Matthew Etzel, right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister and superutilityman Mac Horvath.
A six-man rotation would make sense for Boston, and Eflin would've been a great fit given his track record. Tanner Houck has passed his career-high innings for a single season, and Kutter Crawford will pass his career-high in a few more starts. Adding a sixth hurler will give Boston's existing starters more rest, which has proven successful for Crawford.
Whatever the case, Paxton shouldn't be Boston's only pitcher addition before July 30. He's a veteran lefty, which was one of the front office's primary targets for a deadline acquisition, but he shouldn't be the Sox's only deadline arm.
Eflin just would've been a great fit, too, especially since he's signed through 2025. The 30-year-old has pitched to a 4.09 ERA over 110 innings this season. He's struck out 87 batters and walked 13, good for a 99th percentile walk rate, according to Baseball Savant. He has a six-pitch arsenal that Andrew Bailey could help fine-tune — he relies on his sinker, cutter and curveball the most and only uses his four-seamer just over nine percent of the time.
Eflin signed the most expensive contract in Rays history in Dec. 2022 for three years and $40 million. Tampa Bay tends to dump expensive players, and Eflin's contract appears to be structured for such a purpose. He's owed $18 million for the 2025 season after the Rays paid him $11 million for the first two years of the deal. Any team willing to eat that money could've easily gotten their hands on him. Though Boston's been cheap, they have payroll space at the moment.
The Red Sox had the resources at their disposal to take on Eflin's salary. Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Nick Pivetta and some other Sox will be free agents at the end of the season, and trading for Eflin now would've mitigated the need to hunt for pitching when free agency begins this coming offseason.
Instead, they'll continue to face Eflin as a division foe on a much better Orioles squad. Can't say this helps Boston's playoff chances, but we'll see what Breslow has up his sleeve over the next few days.