Boston Red Sox Seeking Pitching Upgrades

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Despite signing David Price in the offseason and the breakout of knuckleballer Steven Wright, the Boston Red Sox starting rotation has been, to put it simply, mediocre. The Sox rank 16th in the league with a 4.16 ERA, so it’s no surprise that they would inquire about upgrades to the rotation.

Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reported that the Sox contacted the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates about ace Gerrit Cole, and the Miami Marlins about Jose Fernandez – but there was just one thing holding up a trade. The Red Sox were unwilling to part with stars Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts.

What a surprise. A good team is looking for upgrades to make themselves great, and they’re unwilling to break up their superb core. There’s no reason for the Sox to trade either of the duo, however, as Bogaerts is hitting an otherworldly .352/.401/.518 and Betts is creeping his average near .300 while showing off impressive power.

While the Sox may not be able to acquire Cole or Fernandez without including either Bogaerts or Betts, Silverman notes that there’s a glut of other pitchers available on the trade market that can be acquired for a less flashy package.

Down in the minors, the Sox have no shortage of impact prospects to acquire a top of the rotation starter. And with Price now living up to his contract, pitchers like Cole and Fernandez may not be necessary. Players like Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi may be off limits, but their abundance of pitching prospects can likely get a deal done.

Silverman noted that if the Sox can’t acquire a starter, they’ll look to follow the Kansas City Royals model of bolstering their bullpen.

Boston has the prospects and major league talent to acquire an impact starter in the next month. Here’s a look at five realistic options (two starters, three relievers), and the packages they could use to acquire them.

Next: Sonny Days Ahead

Sonny Gray

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Sonny Gray seems like the obvious trade target at this point, as his name has been fluttering around every front office in the league for the better part of a year. The time to trade Gray may not be the best for the A’s given his struggles this season, but any team inquiring would operate under the assumption that Gray is sick of playing in Oakland’s rundown ballpark and wants a change of scenery.

This season, Gray owns an unsightly 5.54 ERA with 3.65 BB/9, but his 4.31 xFIP indicates he could improve down the stretch. His .301 opponents’ BABIP is 50 points higher than the mark last season, which could be the reason for his inflated stats. Last season, it’s worth noting, Gray had the best year of his career, in which he threw for a 2.73 ERA in 208 innings.

At 28-42, Oakland has no reason to hold onto Gray unless they want to try their luck in the offseason. But if the Red Sox pitching struggles continue, their desperation will only signal good fortunes for the A’s.

The Sox package would have to contain at least one top prospect, and with Moncada and Benintendi off limits, that leaves Rafael Devers. Losing Devers, a 19-year-old third baseman, would hurt in the long run, but the Sox would hope that Travis Shaw is the long-term answer at the hot corner – or that *gasp* Pablo Sandoval figures things out *boos erupt*.

And included in the deal, let’s say the Sox throw in one of their former top pitching prospects in Henry Owens or Brian Johnson. The A’s could probably figure out what’s wrong with them.

The Deal:

Boston Acquires: RHP Sonny Gray

Oakland Acquires: 3B Rafael Devers, LHP Henry Owens, OF Bryce Brentz

Next: Injured Starter Appeals

Tyson Ross

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Silverman points out Atlanta’s Julio Teheran as an enticing candidate, but at 25 and dominating, there’s no reason the rebuilding Braves should give up their ace of the present and future.

Another enticing candidate, however, is the injured former All-Star Tyson Ross. Assuming he can come back in early July and show that he’s healthy, the Sox would be very motivated to acquire the 29-year-old.

Over the past three seasons, Ross has quietly been one of the most effective starters in baseball, with a 3.08 ERA in that span. Last season, Ross pitched a career-high 196 innings while finishing with a 3.26 ERA, 2.98 FIP and 9.73 K/9. With the San Diego Padres struggling, there’s no better time for them to trade the righty.

Ross instantly slots into the two-hole in the Sox rotation, and despite his lack of playoff experience, there’s no reason his skills wouldn’t translate. Moving from the NL West to the AL East would likely take Ross some time to transition, but his ground ball tendencies would seemingly make it a smooth one.

With Ross injured for a majority of this season, the Sox package to acquire him could be watered down. It would still include at least one semi-highly touted prospect, but could be filled out with mid-tier players.

The top player in the deal could be Michael Chavis, who has a plus bat with the ability to play multiple positions. While losing him would hurt Boston’s chances to replicate Brock Holt in a few seasons, they’ve done a solid job at transitioning other players to utility roles. Boston could also throw in one of Owens or Johnson to sweeten the pot.

These two teams have a recent history of making deals, with Craig Kimbrel moving to Boston in the offseason and the Sox sending Will Middlebrooks away before the 2015 campaign.

The Deal:

Boston Acquires: RHP Tyson Ross

San Diego Acquires: IF Michael Chavis, LHP Brian Johnson

Next: Bullpen Upgrades

Relievers

The New York Yankees’ trio of Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances is likely off limits for the Red Sox, but there are plenty of other options for Boston.

Jake McGee

Another injured player the Sox could target is Colorado southpaw Jake McGee. He was sent out west from Tampa Bay in the offseason, and, no surprise, has struggled in Coors Field. The 29-year-old owns a 4.98 ERA with 1.25 HR/9. Away from Coors Field, however, McGee has a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings.

Adding McGee gives the Sox their best left-handed option and another setup man alongside Koji Uehara.

Fernando Abad

There’s no shortage of lefties on the market with McGee and Fernando Abad seemingly available. Abad has been one of the few bright spots on the Minnesota Twins roster, but his value is at its peak, which should result in a trade. The 30-year-old has a 2.28 ERA and 2.75 FIP while striking hitters out at a high rate, which makes him a great target for any team.

Arodys Vizcaino

Playing on the lowly Braves doesn’t give Vizcaino much attention, but he’s been lights-out in the closer role with a 2.15 ERA and 12.58 K/9. Vizcaino gives the Sox their own three-headed monster in the bullpen alongside Kimbrel and Uehara, and would ease their concerns over the starting rotation.

Next: Buchholz Set to Rejoin Red Sox Rotation

Any three of these relievers would take at least one mid-to-top-tier prospect, which wouldn’t be an issue with the Red Sox farm system.

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