The Boston Red Sox aren't done making trades after their July 30 late-night addition of Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Starting pitching is still Boston's No. 1 priority ahead of the 6 p.m. deadline, and a first baseman surely wouldn't hurt. However, it's been reported by multiple sources that Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is unwilling to pay the increased asking price for top-tier or multi-year talent, like Sandy Alcántara or Mitch Keller.
The Baltimore Orioles could be a one-stop shop for the rest of the Red Sox's needs. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic proposed a Charlie Morton-Ryan O'Hearn package for Boston, which could make sense given the market.
The Tampa Bay Rays are seen as unlikely to trade slugging first baseman Yandy Díaz, who would be an ideal fit for the Red Sox. O'Hearn would be the next-best option for their first base vacancy, as he's excellent defensively and he's having a career season at the plate. The 32-year-old is slashing .283/.374/.463 with an .837 OPS through 94 games with the Orioles.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal proposes Red Sox trade for Charlie Morton, Ryan O'Hearn from Orioles
Morton is the real wild card in Rosenthal's proposed package. The Red Sox need a No. 2 or 3 starter to balance their rotation behind Garrett Crochet, as Lucas Giolito, Walker Buehler and their depth options have all posted inconsistent years to this point. In his age-41 season, Morton doesn't exactly fit that bill.
Morton has posted a 5.42 ERA with 101 strikeouts and 48 walks over 101.1 innings with Baltimore. He's recently been better than his whole-season stats let on, with a 3.79 ERA and 75 strikeouts in his last 15 appearances.
Both Morton and O'Hearn are on expiring contracts, and the Red Sox may be able to acquire them for a more palatable price than they could Merrill Kelly, Dylan Cease, or other top pitchers. But Boston hasn't made the playoffs in three years, and urgency should be the name of the game. O'Hearn is one of the better infield bats available, but Morton is far from the cream of the pitching crop.