Red Sox Are ‘Best Fit’ For Pitcher Expected To Traded, Insider Says

Executives around Major League Baseball reportedly believe Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly will be traded before the July 31 deadline.

The Boston Red Sox are viewed as a “best fit” for the veteran right-hander, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan. The pair listed Boston along with the Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs in a recent story ranking the top 50 trade deadline candidates.

Kelly ranked No. 8 on the list.

“Kelly doesn’t have big raw stuff, posting the second-lowest average fastball velocity among pitchers with 90 innings pitched this season,” ESPN wrote. “His changeup is his best pitch by a wide margin, and he gets by with location and off-speed stuff. He was a stalwart in the Diamondbacks’ run to the 2023 World Series, striking out 28 in 24 innings with a 2.25 ERA.”

The 36-year-old has spent all seven seasons in Arizona. Kelly, who is second in the rotation behind right-hander Zac Gallen, is 7-4 in 18 starts this season with a 3.79 ERA.

ESPN listed the Red Sox as “best fits” for a handful of trade candidates including Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, Freddy Peralta, Josh Naylor, Ryan O’Hearn, among others.