The Red Sox were rumored to be interested in the best pitcher available for trade, but they ultimately did not win the Max Scherzer sweepstakes.
Scherzer on Friday was officially traded from the Washington Nationals to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boston at one point was reported to be one of eight teams interested in the three-time Cy Young award winner, who potentially would have waived his no-trade clause in order to land with the Red Sox.
There also was a report that indicated Boston’s interest in Scherzer stemmed from ownership “encouraging” Chaim Bloom to make a run at the star right-hander. Not long after the Major League Baseball trade deadline passed, the Red Sox chief baseball officer addressed the rumor.
“I obviously can’t explain everything that gets out there,” Bloom told reporters, as seen on NESN. “I’m not going to address whether a player who’s not our player, what he may or may not have done, but I will say that report isn’t true. We felt nothing but supported and encouraged by ownership. Obviously talked to them a lot about different possibilities and things that we might do, but there was never any pressure to do anything other than what’s right for the Red Sox and what’s right for our goal of sustainable championship baseball.”
Bloom ultimately made three moves ahead of the deadline, headlined by the addition of 2021 All-Star Kyle Schwarber. The Red Sox also acquired a pair of relief pitchers: Hansel Robles from the Minnesota Twins and Austin Davis from the Pirates. The latter deal sent Michael Chavis to Pittsburgh.
