The Boston Red Sox wanted to acquire reliever Justin Wilson at the 2024 trade deadline from the Cincinnati Reds, but it didn’t work out at that time.
After the 2024 season ended, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow quickly signed Wilson at the beginning of the offseason, only two weeks after the World Series ended, to assure that he would get his man.
Boston signed Wilson to a one-year, $2.25 million contract. Now, midway through the season, the 37-year-old is one of the Red Sox's top pitchers in the bullpen.
Wilson has a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings pitched over 32 games this season. He’s faced 111 batters with 33 strikeouts, 24 hits, 12 walks, and has only allowed six earned runs. He’s throwing 63 percent of his pitches for strikes and has a 29.1 CSW% (called strikes plus whiff percentage).
As the Red Sox continue to hover as a .500 team, it’s possible they’ll be sellers at the trade deadline, and a player that could be on the move is Aroldis Chapman as reports show that he’s at the top of most teams' lists this trade season.
Chapman is having an impressive season in his first season with Boston. He has a 1.41 ERA, 45 strikeouts, and has only given up 16 hits in 32.0 innings pitched over 35 games.
The veteran reliever has made 12 saves out of 15 opportunities for an 80 percent save conversion rate, which ranks 14th in the MLB. He still has a lot left in the tank, and he’s proving it by throwing 100 MPH consistently.
Chapman has been the most consistent pitcher in Boston’s bullpen, but if they’re not going to make a playoff push, then Boston should look to move him for more assets.
It seems like pitching is Boston’s biggest weakness right now, so maybe they could acquire a pitcher in return for Chapman as they continue to retool their rotation.
With Wilson emerging as a standout in the bullpen, maybe Boston feels comfortable parting ways with Chapman. Don’t get me wrong, the Red Sox are a better team with Chapman, but if they’re not going to be contending, it might be best to move on from Chapman while they can still get something in return for him.