3 Bold Red Sox Trade Deadline Predictions
By Tyler Maher
This year’s trade deadline is going to look a lot different than last year’s for the Boston Red Sox.
Last year, the Red Sox were coming off their worst month of the season in July, but were still on the periphery of the playoff hunt. That put Chaim Bloom in a tough spot, as he wasn’t able to justify adding heavy reinforcements or unloading all of his veteran talent.
This year is a different story, however. Boston is coming off of its best month of the season in July and is squarely in the Wild Card race. Rather than being caught in the middle, Bloom can be an aggressive buyer again, as he was in 2021 when he added Kyle Schwarber.
Bloom hasn’t made a lot of bold moves during his tenure since trading away Mookie Betts, but this is the time to do it. Here are three bold predictions about what the Red Sox will do at the trade deadline.
3 Bold Red Sox Trade Deadline Predictions
1. Bloom (finally) acquires a big-name starting pitcher
This one is bold because Bloom has never done it. While his predecessor Dave Dombrowski aggressively added starting pitchers like David Price, Chris Sale and Nate Eovaldi, Bloom has opted to build his rotation through low-risk, short-term additions like Martin Perez, Garrett Richards, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill and Corey Kluber.
Bloom has never spent big on a starting pitcher, but this is the time to do it. With Sale and others on the shelf, Boston’s rotation desperately needs reinforcements. Brayan Bello has emerged as the de facto ace in only his second season, but he could really use an accomplished veteran to help him out.
Most teams aren’t going to trade their top starters, however, but some should be available. The Mets would likely be open to moving on from either Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander, and the Cubs are open to dealing Marcus Stroman.
Bloom hates trading away prospects, but by now he should have a good idea of which ones probably aren’t going to pan out. After whiffing on most of his pitching targets last offseason, he redeems himself with a splash.