At 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA in 11 starts, it was not as though Red Sox rookie righty Hunter Dobbins was in line for Cy Young votes. But he played a valuable role on the team, the kind of consistent, strike-throwing starter who could give the team five or six innings on a given night and at least offer the offense a chance to win the game.
Boston was desperately lacking in that kind of depth one summer ago, and it ultimately cost them a chance to stay in the playoff race down the stretch.
So when Dobbins tore his ACL last week, ending his 2025 season, the Red Sox lost more than just his production. They lost a guy who had been a security blanket for a rotation that has seen its middle ranks–Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford specifically–wracked by injury. Now, it is likely the team will need to address his absence as the trade deadline approaches.
Red Sox Need Depth, as Always
As MassLive’s Chris Cotillo points out, losing Dobbins means someone else will be forced into the rotation, maybe Houck as he returns from injury, or Richard Fitts. The team had the luxury, with Dobbins in the rotation, of giving those arms a try at extended relief duty. That luxury has dried up, though, and the Red Sox need to address it for a bullpen that is likely to be without Justin Slaten and Liam Hendriks, as well.
Writes Cotillo: “It would have been conceivable, with Dobbins healthy behind Crochet, Giolito, Bello and Buehler (for now), that the Red Sox would have been willing to try out someone like Fitts, Houck or Harrison in that multi-inning relief role. Now? Fitts is in the rotation and the Sox probably need to keep the others stretched out. The trickle-down effect is real.”
It’s possible that the Red Sox could address the issue by adding a starting pitcher on a rental at the deadline. Boston is also looking at potential deals for a slugging first baseman. But the long-relief role–something team president Craig Breslow, a former reliever, knows a bit about–remains one to watch.
“Breslow would be wise to add a veteran arm or two, and the expectation is that he will (like all contenders do),” Cotillo noted. “Maybe not an elite option but a level higher than the Lucas Sims/Luis García ‘warm body’ tier from 2024. It’s always an expensive market.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Red Sox Injury Forces Change to MLB Trade Deadline Plans appeared first on Heavy Sports.