After winning 10 consecutive games entering the All-Star break, the Boston Red Sox played themselves right back into the American League Wild Card race. However, they have dropped four of their first five games since the break, and appear to with eight days left until the trade deadline, it appears Boston needs to make a big splash if they want to hold their positioning. Their 54-49 record is good for the third Wild Card slot, but three teams are within just 2.5 games of that spot.
The Red Sox’s biggest needs in the last week before the deadline are undoubtedly pitching and first base. They could use another depth starter, and what Boston’s plan is at first remains a mystery. However, they certainly have tradable assets to address their top needs, and if they do, Boston could be a serious AL contender.
Blockbuster Trade Idea Lands Pirates’ Mitch Keller
With the Pittsburgh Pirates being clear-cut sellers, starter Mitch Keller is an arm that is likely going to receive a lot of calls for a team like the Boston Red Sox. It would likely cost any team a good amount of capital, and certainly some MLB-caliber players, but an addition like Keller would certainly round out Boston’s rotation nicely. Garrett Crochet is the clear ace in the Red Sox rotation, and they’ve seen some great contributions from Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello as of late, but things thin out after that, especially with how inconsistent Walker Buehler has been.
ESPN Insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel recently moved Keller up to 11th on their list of “top 50 trade deadline candidates,” and they provide compelling reasons on why he could be moved:
“Keller is not only in the midst of a career-best season with a 3.48 ERA but also is under contract for another three years at a very reasonable $55.7 million. The Pirates need bats, and moving Keller is the likeliest way to fill that void. Teams could be scared off slightly by the quality of contact against him — his average exit velocity and hard-hit rate have spiked while his strikeouts are down — but in an environment with little pitching, Keller is nevertheless desirable.”
Keller was given a 50% chance to be moved by the ESPN insiders, and Boston was named as a best fit along with division foe Toronto Blue Jays. Keller was named an All-Star in 2023 and is on pace for a third-straight season of 170+ innings.
What Could Keller Cost?
As Passan and McDaniel outlined, Keller comes at a reasonable price, but he’s also a proven out, and the Pittsburgh Pirates need bats like they said, so he likely would garner a hefty-ish return package.
A good return deal could be Masataka Yoshida, who is just returning from injury this season, but there is a big logjam in the Boston Red Sox outfield at the moment, or prospects Jhostynxon Garcia and James Thibbs III. That’s one-two hitters for a quality starter, which balances out. Yoshida is a semi-proven bat, and the two prospects are a year or two from being MLB-ready.
Expect the Red Sox to be active in the starting pitcher market in the next week. If not, they could see their playoff hopes slip due to poor pitching that fizzles out in the last two months of the season.
Red Sox Trade Pitch Lands Pirates’ All-Star Pitcher