Red Sox Predicted To Make League-Altering Trade For Sensational Ace

The Boston Red Sox made the postseason this year, but the team has its sights set higher than just making it into October. Adding pitching could be a focus, but Craig Breslow said during the general manager meetings that the Red Sox would likely only add a starting rotation if it was someone who could be a frontline starter.

Garrett Crochet was phenomenal for the Red Sox in his first year with the team. Getting another elite arm with him in the rotation could make the Red Sox a force to be reckoned with. Tarik Skubal’s name is floating around in trade rumors, and Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer predicted the Red Sox would pull off a trade for him.

“The 29-year-old is a year away from free agency, and the chances of him signing a contract extension are virtually zilch,” wrote Rymer on Friday. “Even if they are in the middle of a contention window, cashing in the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner for a massive haul now arguably makes more sense than letting his walk year play out.”

Skubal and Crochet were the two best pitchers in the American League last season. In fact, Skubal is perhaps the only pitcher in the American League who could make Crochet the No. 2 in the Red Sox’s rotation. Skubal has won back-to-back Cy Young Awards, edging out Crochet last season.

Skubal has a 2.30 ERA in the last two seasons. The southpaw has 469 strikeouts in his last two years and is undeniably one of the best pitchers in baseball. He and the Detroit Tigers are reportedly far apart in contract negotiations, opening the door for a trade.

Skubal’s next deal could make him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball, and rightfully so. Trading for Skubal would not only require plenty of assets, but it would also require the Red Sox to turn around and potentially pay him $400 million to keep him around.

He would be a major investment, but it’s hard to imagine him not being worth it. Skubal and Crochet at the top of a rotation together would be a nightmare for the rest of the American League. It’s a move that could change the outlook of the entire American League.