At the beginning of the season, it was hard to imagine the Boston Red Sox needing starting pitching depth at the trade deadline, but their rotation has been through the wringer this season. Garrett Crochet, Johan Oviedo and Kutter Crawford are still on the injured list, rookies Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett have already been pushed hard this season and Sonny Gray is the only right-hander in the rotation.
The Red Sox would be wise to bring in another righty arm to take some pressure off their young players and to diversify the rotation. Cincinnati Reds star Hunter Greene could be a good fit because of his potential and current contract structure, but there have been mixed messages about his availability ahead of the deadline.
On July 30, Buster Olney reported on the "Just Baseball Show" podcast that there's a 50-50 chance Greene will be traded. The morning after, MLB insider Bob Nightengale said that the Reds have told teams that he isn't available.
Whether he's truly available or not, the Red Sox should test the water — the worst the Reds could say is "no." Greene is a young, controllable righty with a history of success and an All-Star nomination to his name, all factors which could make him a fit for the Sox's rotation.
Red Sox should pursue Hunter Greene trade despite conflicting reports on his availability
Gray is the Red Sox's only righty pitcher in the major leagues, but they have many young righties on their top prospects list like Kyson Witherspoon (No. 4 per MLB Pipeline), Anthony Eyanson (No. 2), Marcus Phillips (No. 11) and more. At least one of them could be used as part of the return in a Greene trade, and Greene would also hold down a righty spot in the rotation until the others are ready for the big leagues.
Greene will be an expensive addition to Boston's rotation, if it decides to go down that road. He's posted a 3.79 ERA over 517.1 innings in his career, he earned an All-Star nomination and Cy Young Award votes in 2024 and he has three years of team control left on his contract after 2026, including a club option for 2029. Greene is due $8,833,333 in each of those three years.
Greene hasn't had the easiest season — he underwent elbow surgery earlier this year and was activated from the 60-day injured list on July 4. He's posted a 7.61 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over five starts since then but he's still adjusting back to the big leagues. Before his injury in 2025, Greene clocked a 2.76 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 132 strikeouts (31.4 strikeout percentage) over 107.2 innings.
The Red Sox need another right-hander for their rotation and Greene could give them a long-term option who can help them win now and in the future while their up-and-coming righty prospects grow in the minor leagues. It's a risky bet based on his body of work so far this season, but he's only pitched a small sample size of innings and his past success could make it worth it.
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