The Boston Red Sox should take a look at acquiring RHP Chase Anderson

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chase Anderson haw designated for assignment Wednesday morning. This coming after he played in two games for the Rays, throwing five scoreless innings and only allowing two hits in the same time frame. In this article I will be going over why the Boston Red Sox should consider trying to bring Anderson in.

With the move being a DFA, the Red Sox would have to trade or waiver claim him, or hope that he is cut outright to be able to acquire him. With this note, the Rays would likely be willing to trade him for a similar value to what they gave up to get him initially from the Cincinnati Reds. That trade was based around cash considerations returning to the Reds, which the Red Sox already were willing to give up for Zack Littell. The Rays only acquired Anderson a week ago as well, which makes this designation even more interesting.

Why Red Sox should pursue Chase Anderson

In terms of why the Red Sox should consider him, the reasons mainly reside within the current pitching unit. The starting rotation is currently ranked third worst in ERA with a 6.10, and the bullpen has seen some significant injuries within the last few weeks. The full list of injured pitchers includes James Paxton (returning Friday), Garrett Whitlock, Kutter Crawford, Joely Rodriguez, Zack Kelly, Wyatt Mills, and Jeremy Wu-Yelland.

Bringing in Anderson, even just as a potential chance at a decent reliever, would be worth giving up cash for in this scenario. We have seen him pitch well in his two games this season despite having a tough time the last three seasons.

In Milwaukee from 2016-2018, Anderson was a quality starter in the league. He made 85 starts, bringing together a 3.71 ERA in 451 innings pitched, with 381 strikeouts to only 151 walks. However, in his last three seasons from 2020-2022, he has struggled with a 6.81 ERA through 105.2 innings pitched, with 96 strikeouts and 45 walks.

Is Anderson ever going to revert to his form from Milwaukee? Probably not. But having good depth in the bullpen is crucial for the Red Sox, with the starters truly struggling the large majority of the time. Bringing in a potentially quality reliever for a cheap price is something that should absolutely be considered, especially so in the case of a veteran. With two performances this season in which he was able to get outs at a great level, it may be worth the Sox time to invest in bringing him in.

We have already seen a reliever this season revive their career with the Sox, that being Brennan Bernardino. Brennan had a 12.00 ERA through six innings pitched in Seattle's Triple-A affiliate early into 2023 and had been bouncing around in the minor leagues for most of his career. Now? He has a 1.93 ERA through 9.1 relief innings pitched for the Sox and even has a win credited to his name. Taking a shot on relievers who you can get for a low price is always something worth looking at.

Worst case scenario? Anderson is designated for assignment or outright cut from the roster, and you lose some cash. Best case scenario? You get a reliever who is quick to get through innings, and maybe even we see the DFA of Ryan Brasier that has long been awaited, in favor of Chase. Low-risk moves are what the Sox need right now if they wish to contend this year, and this absolutely falls into that category.

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