Red Sox Division Rival Lands Notable Starting Pitcher In Trade

With every team in the American League East still in contention for the postseason, the Boston Red Sox were not the only ballclub to be busy ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The Tampa Bay Rays on Monday got out ahead of the clock and made an important move by trading for right-hander Aaron Civale from the Cleveland Guardians, per multiple reports. Cleveland acquired minor league infielder Kyle Manzardo in return.

With injuries in the rotation to Tyler Glasnow and Shane McClanahan, Civale joins Tampa Bay in the midst of a productive season.

In 13 starts this season, Civale is 5-2 with a 2.34 ERA. The righty has pitched at least five innings in each of his last five starts.

Since a red-hot 30-9 start, the Rays have scuffled over the last three months and fell out of first place as the Baltimore Orioles took over the top spot in the division. Tampa Bay will look to get back in a groove with an addition to the starting rotation.

The Rays are the latest team in the division to make a notable move. Over the weekend, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired flame-throwing reliever Jordan Hicks from the St. Louis Cardinals.

In addition to those dealings, other contenders such as the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees could have potential moves as teams in the AL East look to create separation in arguably the best division in baseball.

The Rays currently hold a four-game lead for the top American League wild-card spot.

The Red Sox also look to be in the market for pitching, particularly with starters for a team that still only has three healthy starting arms on the active roster.