The Boston Red Sox already have made one trade ahead of the non-waiver trade deadline, and it looks like they could be exploring another.
The Red Sox have interest in Minnesota Twins closer Fernando Rodney, according to MLB.com’s Jerry Crasnick.
The question, of course, is should the Red Sox pursue Rodney?
Rodney has been impressive in his 16th Major League Baseball season. The right-hander has converted 19 saves and currently owns 3.16 ERA. He also has extensive experience pitching in the pressure-packed American League East, as Rodney holds a 4.35 ERA in 207 appearances against AL East squads.
Furthermore, the Red Sox’s reported interest in the 41-year-old makes sense, as team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is familiar with Rodney dating back to their time together with the Detroit Tigers.
Rodney, of course, would not close games for Boston, but he could provide another hard-throwing relief arm to go along with Joe Kelly and Matt Barnes. The Red Sox also recently welcomed back Tyler Thornburg, who made his team debut Friday night after a lengthy recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome.
Minnesota reportedly is expected to be a seller at the July 31 deadline, so even if it’s not a deal with Boston, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Rodney shipped out by month’s end.
