Realistically, the Boston Red Sox have the farm system to make nearly any trade at the deadline. Unless a superstar becomes available and the Red Sox don’t want to part ways with a few of their prospects, there’s no reason they can’t be in the mix for many of the top players available.
Fortunately, the Red Sox should be in a decent position with other teams in their division. While the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees will be definite buyers, teams like the Baltimore Orioles won’t be. According to Orioles’ General Manager Mike Elias, Baltimore understands what it’s going through and might have to sell.
“The reality is, when we’re at that point in the standings and 11 days from the trade deadline, we got to be realistic about our situation,” Elias said on MLB Radio. “The conversations that I’m having right now are more oriented towards being what’s out there for some of our major league players.”
When examining the Orioles’ situation, NESN noted that the Red Sox could benefit from it, naming three of their starting pitchers as potential candidates for Boston to pursue.
“Starting pitchers Zach Eflin, Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton are all pending free agents who can offer rotation depth down the stretch,” they wrote.
Whether Boston wants to add to its rotation at the deadline is unknown, but it seems inevitable that it has to, somehow.
Even if the Red Sox acquire an average arm, like many of the Orioles pitchers who could be available, if they eat innings, it could be a big help come October.
