Boston Red Sox Seeking Pitching Upgrades
By Nick Fustor
Tyson Ross
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