The Boston Red Sox are in need of additions in the middle infield, especially now due to the injury to second baseman Trevor Story.
But Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom doesn’t just have his eyes on that positional group.
Bloom told reporters Tuesday when discussing Story’s injury, and how long it might keep the two-time All-Star sidelined, that the Red Sox are still looking to potentially bring in starting pitchers.
While all the big-ticket named pitchers are long gone from the free agent market, Bloom said the Red Sox are searching for “impact guys” that could be a part of the organization “for a long time,” according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.
It seems Bloom would have a tough time finding pitchers to fit that criteria now in free agency, but he has had some success with under-the-radar signings. Michael Wacha was certainly one of them as he morphed into Boston’s best starting pitcher last season and the 31-year-old is still on the open market.
There are other veteran pitchers available through free agency as well, or Bloom could potentially explore a trade for a top-end pitcher. The Red Sox reportedly have had discussions with the Miami Marlins about trading for players that would fit their two biggest needs.
Boston’s starting rotation has been remodeled after the Red Sox lost Nathan Eovaldi and Rich Hill in free agency this offseason while partially offsetting those departures by signing two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber.
Oft-injured lefty James Paxton exercised his player option to remain with the Red Sox and despite strong showings out of the bullpen the last two seasons, it appears Garrett Whitlock is transitioning into a starter. Chris Sale and Nick Pivetta would headline Boston’s rotation while Brayan Bello is an intriguing option that will likely be in the mix as well.
Even though shoring up the middle infield help should be the top priority, which Bloom understands, adding another arm to the rotation could prove beneficial with pitching depth regularly tested throughout the season.
