Eight Starting Pitchers Red Sox Could Target Before MLB Trade Deadline

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom already made it clear Boston would like to add starting pitching before the 2023 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Makes sense. The Red Sox have been patching together their rotation in recent weeks, thanks to injuries to Chris Sale, Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Corey Kluber. And most contenders tend to search for additional arms this time of year.

But who exactly could the Red Sox target before the deadline?

One might argue Boston is better off eyeing starters controllable through at least 2024. A pure rental wouldn’t hold much value if the club suddenly fell out of the playoff race, whereas a hurler with term could crack the rotation next season, as well, an important development as the Red Sox try to solidify themselves as annual World Series contenders.

The cost of acquiring controllable starting pitching is high, though. So, ultimately, it’ll come down to value, with Bloom and company weighing the pros and cons of each possible target, plus Boston’s place in the standings as Aug. 1 approaches.

Let’s remove Shohei Ohtani — a two-way superstar and the undisputed best player potentially available before the deadline — from this conversation, as he’s a unicorn for which the Red Sox would need to surrender the farm.

Here are eight starting pitchers the Red Sox theoretically could target.

Blake Snell, LHP, San Diego Padres
The Padres entered the year with World Series aspirations. Now, four months into a disappointing season, they could ship away pieces, with Snell being a prime trade candidate if San Diego goes down that path. Snell, a free agent this offseason, has been lights out for the better part of two months, entering Tuesday with a 0.71 ERA in his last 11 starts (63 innings). He’d be arguably the best starter available on the trade market if the Friars shop him around, and his price point likely will reflect such.

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Chicago White Sox
The White Sox aren’t going anywhere and Giolito can test the open market this offseason. That’s a recipe for a deadline trade. And there are plenty of contenders, including the Red Sox, who could use an arm like Giolito, a 2019 All-Star who’s flashed top-of-the-rotation upside at times in his Chicago tenure. The 6-foot-6 right-hander finished in the top 11 in Cy Young voting each season from 2019 to 2021.

Lance Lynn, RHP, Chicago White Sox
Lynn, like Giolito, is a proven starter who pitches for the White Sox. He has a slightly different contract situation, with Chicago holding an $18 million club option for 2024, but nevertheless is a logical trade candidate given the White Sox’s 2023 struggles. The problem? Lynn has been terrible this year, with home runs being a huge issue. So, whatever team acquires him will be banking on a return to his former self, a version that was really, really good. Lynn, a two-time All-Star, finished in the top six in Cy Young voting for three straight seasons from 2019 to 2021.

Jordan Montgomery, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals basically are the White Sox of the National League — an underachieving Central-division club with veteran pitchers to sell off before the deadline. And Montgomery has been their best starter, with an ERA sitting in the mid-3.00 range and decent enough underlying metrics. The Red Sox seem to have a thing for tall lefties — see Chris Sale and James Paxton — and Montgomery, a 6-foot-6 southpaw, certainly fits that criteria. He, like many pitchers on this list, is a rental set to hit free agency this offseason. So, that theoretically could turn off the Red Sox, unless they’re totally sold on the potential of this year’s team.

Jack Flaherty, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Flaherty is an intriguing case in that he once looked like an up-and-coming ace before injuries stalled his career. It’d be unwise to expect Cy Young-caliber production — he finished fourth in voting in 2019 — as he nears his 28th birthday, but he certainly carries upside and presumably would cost less than Montgomery on the trade market. Flaherty, who’s traveled both peaks and valleys this season while finally staying healthy, is a free agent this winter, as well.

Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, Detroit Tigers
Here’s a name Red Sox fans certainly remember, as E-Rod spent seven years in Boston from 2015 to 2021. Is a reunion likely? Probably not. But it’s also not inconceivable, with the Tigers basically out of playoff contention and Rodriguez able to opt out of his contract this offseason, a scenario that seems likely if he continues to perform well down the stretch. Rodriguez has three years and $49 million remaining on his contract beyond this season if he doesn’t opt out. That’s a reasonable rate for a pitcher of his caliber, when healthy, and he’d almost certainly land a more lucrative deal in free agency this offseason.

Michael Lorenzen, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Lorenzen’s trade case is more straightforward than Rodriguez’s, as the former is operating on an expiring contract. No opt-outs involved, or anything like that. So, he’s perhaps more likely to be traded, even though he’s putting together a really strong season in the Motor City. The 31-year-old converted outfielder was a first-time All-Star earlier this month, and while he’s hardly an overpowering force, his walk rate is down and he’d fit in nicely at the back end of any contending rotation. He probably wouldn’t cost much, either, as a rental with a still-limited track record.

Paul Blackburn, RHP, Oakland Athletics
The A’s don’t need to trade Blackburn. He’s making only $1.9 million this season and is arbitration eligible through 2025. But he also doesn’t fit Oakland’s rebuild, as a 29-year-old, and the A’s therefore might look to cash in by shipping him to a contender. Blackburn, an All-Star in 2022, doesn’t really jump off the page, but cost-controlled pitching is extremely valuable these days. He could fill a back-end rotation spot for the Red Sox, among others, for two years beyond this season.