Red Sox Reportedly Pushing To Add Starting Pitcher 'Sooner Rather Than Later'
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox are reportedly making a push to acquire another starting pitcher, and it doesn't sound like they're going to wait until the trade deadline at the end of the month. Boston would prefer to "act sooner rather than later," according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
While much of the focus has been on the struggles of Boston's bullpen, Red Sox starters haven't been holding up their end of the bargain this season either. Chris Sale (3-8, 4.04) and Rick Porcello (6-7, 5.33) have been wildly inconsistent, averaging less than six innings per outing. Eduardo Rodriguez leads the staff with nine wins, but he has also been putting a lot of pressure on the bullpen, making it into the seventh inning in just four of his 18 starts. The lefty has lasted five innings or less in five of those 18 starts.
At 7-2 with a 3.24 ERA, David Price is the only starter who has been consistently effective for Boston in 2019. But overall, Red Sox starters own a 4.70 ERA, which ranks 18th in all of baseball.
Nathan Eovaldi should be returning soon from his late April procedure to remove loose bodies in his elbow, but he'll be heading to the bullpen. That still leaves a need for a starter who can eat some innings and provide a little relief for Boston relievers.
While the trade market for starting pitching will be thin, there will be options available for Dave Dombrowski. Detroit's Matthew Boyd (6-6, 3.87) is available, a player Dombrowski acquired for the Tigers when he was their general manager. But he'll likely command a pretty penny on the trade market, and the Red Sox may not have the prospects to get a deal done. Toronto's Marcus Stroman may move but probably won't be coming to Boston, given the recent drama surrounding the two parties. If they look within the division, Baltimore's Andrew Cashner (9-3, 3.83) is a strong possibility. Arizona lefty Robbie Ray (6-6, 3.69) and Miami southpaw Caleb Smith (4-4, 3.50) are some NL options, and if Dombrowski is strictly looking for a rental, Zack Wheeler (6-6, 4.69) of the Mets could make his way to Boston before becoming a free agent at season's end.
More potential trade options will surface as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, but with the Red Sox at 49-41 and on the outside of the AL playoff picture at the All-Star break, it doesn't sound like Dombrowski will be waiting that long to address the need in Boston's rotation.
