The Boston Red Sox head into the Major League Baseball All-Star break as the hottest team in baseball. Winners of their last 10 games, Boston now has the same number of wins as the New York Yankees and has surged in the American League East. This has completely changed their trade deadline mindset, as it is now believed that if the Red Sox acquire the right pieces, they can make a deep October run.
Boston is now expected to be a deadline buyer after the winning streak, and their top target is a depth starter. Southpaw Garrett Crochet has been everything and more for the Red Sox this season, and even Brayan Bello has come into his own as of late, but after that, things get dicier for the Red Sox rotation. There have been multiple injuries, and Walker Buehler has not been the arm Boston had hoped he’d be when they signed him to a one-year deal.
Trade Idea with Rangers Lands Tyler Mahle
The Texas Rangers, who sit at a game under .500 and a handful of games out of an AL Wild Card, may be a sneaky team to complete a trade with. A solid starter option that they have is Tyler Mahle. Although Mahle has been on the IL since early June, he is expected to come back at some point and would be the exact type of arm the Boston Red Sox could acquire for the final push of the season. Mahle was the subject of trade rumors before the injury. He is also set to be a free agent following this season, which would allow for Boston not to have to give up too much capital for him.
The 30-year-old Mahle has started 14 games this season and has posted a 2.34 ERA. He has 56 strikeouts in 77 innings, but is a more pitch-to-contact pitcher. This is the perfect type of arm for Boston to slot into their third or fourth rotation spot once he returns from injury. A player that could potentially be sent away for Mahle is Boston’s fifth-ranked prospect, James Thibbs III. Thibbs is an outfield prospect, and well, Boston already has a big logjam in their outfield with several notable players.
Boston’s Deadline Outlook
Several MLB insiders have already noted that the Boston Red Sox have a pitching need, and a solid starter is at the top of their wishlist. At first, when Boston traded away their best player at the time in Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants, many thought the Red Sox were going to punt this season away. Even closer, Aroldis Chapman garnered some trade interest, but after his stellar first half, and the Red Sox’s emergence, we could see their front office make more big splashes, but in a beneficial way.
As the July 31st deadline approaches, the Red Sox’s deadline outline has changed significantly since two weeks ago. They are now one of the most intriguing teams in baseball and could be on the Texas Rangers’ radar for acquiring Mahle.
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