After a rough start, the bullpen has settled down and the starters show promise, but around the league a few surprising faces may emerge as the year continues as potential trade targets for the Sox.
It's still early in the season, and the Red Sox may sort out the rotation themselves. Looking at some potential big-name trade targets, however, suggests the Sox may be better off relying on who's already here.
Brandon McCarthy is one option that might be fresh in fans' minds, considering he just shut down the Red Sox on Wednesday night with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. McCarthy is 6-0 against the AL East the last two seasons, which is pretty darn impressive. Considering that the Red Sox play a whole lot of the teams in that division, they could probably use a guy who's already developing a track record against the division's tough lineups.
McCarthy's contract is up after this season and Billy Beane has shown a willingness to deal top pitchers for prospects in the past (see: Gio Gonzalez, Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder). But, those deals all went down during the offseason. It also remains to be seen if the Red Sox would part with a highly-touted prospect that the A's would surely want in return, such as Will Middlebrooks, Jose Iglesias or Ryan Lavarnway.
Another name with experience in the division would be Rockies pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, who pitched for the Orioles over the last five years and who will also be a free agent this offseason. Guthrie's name came up as a potential target for the Sox last year, but after being swapped to Colorado this offseason, the righthander's ERA has risen while his strikeout rate has plummeted.
Granted, it's difficult for anyone to pitch at Coors Field, and Guthrie's numbers are significantly better on the road, so there may be hope for him yet.
One player under team control for a couple more years who may find himself on the trade block near deadline time is Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez. The owner of a sterling 1.64 ERA through six starts this season, Rodriguez is the lone bright spot in what is by most accounts going to be another dreary season for Houston.
Rodriguez is making $10 million this season, with a $13 million option for 2013 that becomes a player option if he's traded. That's a bit steep for a 33-year-old who has spent his entire career in the National League, but a change of venue — and playing for a winning team again — could reenergize the righty.
Jake Peavy's resurgence in Chicago this season also could pique some teams' interest if he is regaining his Cy Young-winning ways. If the White Sox gave any indication they were going to be sellers at the trade deadline, it would make sense for the Red Sox to test the waters.
The Tigers aren't running away with the Central Division like many pundits thought they would, though, so it seems unlikely Chicago general manager Kenny Williams would want to deal the team's resurgent ace if his team has a shot at the playoffs.
The only reason to consider dealing Peavy at this point would be to sell high while he's healthy, considering the pitcher's struggles to remain that way. Despite the immense talent Peavy has shown, that's too big a red flag for the Sox to ignore.
A more reasonable target for the Red Sox would likely be a lower-tier pitcher like Carl Pavano or old friend Derek Lowe, who wouldn't cost an impact prospect to earn their services away for a stretch run. With Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mend from Tommy John surgery and Aaron Cook primed to debut for the team this weekend, however, they may not even need to venture into the trade market if either or both pan out.
Ultimately, it appears that the trade deadline will have its fair share of intrigue — as it always does. How the Red Sox choose to deal with it should be interesting to watch, but if they stand pat, it may be because sometimes the best trade is not making one.
