Alex Mayes

The trade deadline for the Boston Red Sox was filled with… meh. I’ll be the first to say that I like the Dustin May deal on the surface, especially if they re-sign him, but the Matz deal doesn’t do a ton for me seeing what else the Cardinals shipped out. Phil Maton would make more sense as a right-handed reliever, and if they were set on a left-handed reliever, then they should have paid a higher asking price for JoJo Romero. Take it one step further, and Ryan Helsley would have given the Red Sox an opportunity to make far bigger splashes in the trade market as other relievers would have become expendable. The issue here, though, is that Craig Breslow failed to capitalize on an incredibly favorable market for sellers. The Red Sox operated on the fringes of the trade market until a last minute push for Joe Ryan, which Ken Rosenthal called ‘feeble at best’, signaling that Breslow was unwilling to play in the deep-end of the trade pool. Look, that’s okay if that’s the lane you’ve fully committed the team to. But, of the front office didn’t believe that this team was worth actually investing in, then you needed to pick a different path. Why bring in a fifth left-handed reliever when you could have traded the ones you already have for pieces that could actually net you what you were looking for? I’ve been adamant that the Sox needed to move on from Aroldis Chapman at the deadline because of how rare it is for a reliever at his age to be this dominant. Then, the Phillies went crazy for Jhoan Duran and the Padres, in typical A.J. Preller fashion, lost their minds for Mason Miller. Once Helsley, Duran, and Miller were off the board, Breslow should have pivoted to Chapman and started a bidding war for teams that were in on all of those names. The Dodgers were in on Duran and likely would have paid more than Dustin May for Chapman had Breslow made him available. I’m not claiming that Chapman is on the same tier as Duran and Miller—he’s a rental and they are younger and have far more control— but it's clear the market would have ponied up big time for a guy with a 1.29 ERA and 19 saves. And, if you really believe that Chapman is too instrumental to this team' success to lose, then why not deal Justin Wilson, your other rental left-handed reliever? Why bring in a third rental southpaw reliever at all? That Matz trade truly felt like the team making a move for the sake of making a move, and if Blaze Jordan was the price for a rental reliever with a 3.44 ERA, imagine what Wilson and his 2.65 ERA (and far cheaper contract) could have pulled in on the open market. This truly just felt like a directionless trade deadline. Craig Breslow’s tenure with the Boston Red Sox has been marked by incredibly high moments (trading for and then extending Garrett Crochet and signing Alex Bregman), but also two less-than-lackluster trade deadlines. If Breslow wasn’t comfortable playing in the big pool of the trade market, then he had the assets to take advantage of a market that was wanting for more sellers. The other three contenders in the AL East all got better at the deadline, and the teams surrounding the Red Sox in the Wild Card race got better as well. The Red Sox mostly sat on their hands and hoped something would fall into their lap. Breslow seems to be most comfortable operating when he’s not up against a deadline and during the offseason, which is fine. But if he can’t navigate the trade deadline, he’s never going to be an effective President of Baseball Operations, especially for a large-market team like the Red Sox.

Late on Wednesday, July 30, the Red Sox traded prospect Blaze Jordan for LHP Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals. Talk Sox’s Nick John was quick to get an overview of the deal. I’ve highlighted Matz a couple of times over recent weeks, but admittedly, it's hard to see the fit because he’s another left-handed reliever. After diving into some deeper numbers and splits, I’ve come around, and the deal for Matz helps to solidify the bullpen in a solid way. He follows what the Red Sox like for their pitchers to do; he induces groundballs and has nasty secondary offerings. A Look Under the Hood Matz currently has a 3.44 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. He’s worked as an opener twice this season and has notched a single save. His strikeout percentage is sitting at a solid 20.7% while his walk rate is an impressive flat 4%. That walk rate puts him in the top 2% of pitchers in baseball. His home runs per nine is the lowest it has been in his career at 0.65, and he has a career low in FIP at 2.87. To go along with his 44.3% ground ball rate, he’s getting hitters to make contact over the top of the ball at a 37.6% clip, which makes sense when you look at his pitch mix. He relies heavily on a sinker that averages 94.3 MPH. He then features a curve and changeup that average 79.4 MPH and 83.8 MPH, respectively. He has a slider that he keeps in his pocket, but rarely uses it, with just two percent on the season so far. That being said, Andrew Bailey loves a good slider, so if he believes that Matz can tap into something with it, then it may become more than just a fourth option pitch for him. A Converted Starter It’s no secret that Matz began his career as a starter with the Mets. He found success early in his career in this role, but floundered over the last couple of seasons after landing in St. Louis. To combat that, the Cardinals moved him to the bullpen in May of this year, and it seemed to unlock a new level for him. He’s already topped his strikeout numbers from last season, although that was an injury-shortened season for him. Looking at his last full season as a starter in 2023, we see that the numbers that matter are all down across the board for Matz. His average against is down a hair from .263 to .260, his slug against is down from .405 to .377, and his wOBA is down from .316 to .292. He’s found a role that serves his pitching style well in the bullpen and looks to continue that dominance in Boston. The Red Sox are expected to keep him in his bullpen role, but his starting history could have him begin some games as an opener to help keep the starting rotation fresh as we navigate the dog days of summer. LOOGY Potential Although Matz is a left-handed reliever, the Cardinals didn’t use him in a way that showcased his strengths. He’s thrown 24 innings against left-handed hitters and 30 2/3 innings against righties. He has faced more righties than lefties, 138 to 89, and has performed much better against lefties on the season. His slash line against hitters of different handedness shows that in Boston, he’s likely going to be seeing far more left-handed hitters than right-handed hitters. Lefties are slashing .179/.216/.226 with a .199 wOBA while righties are faring far better by slashing .313/.341/.473 with a .351 wOBA against him Against left-handed hitters, he uses his sinker 25.5% of the time and his curveball 10.7% of the time. He all but abandons his changeup and slider, using them 1.1% and 0.8% of the time, respectively. Against right-handed hitters, he uses his sinker 33.8% of the time, and his change-up becomes his secondary pitch at 16.9% of the time, while his curveball and slider see a 9.8% and 1.2% use rate. It seems logical, but making Matz a left-handed specialist is the path Boston is looking to take here. They already have left-handed help in the bullpen with Aroldis Chapman, Justin Wilson, Brennan Bernardino, and Chris Murphy already on the roster. Still, Matz should slot in before all of them except Chapman. I don’t expect the Red Sox to be done as the trade deadline is mere hours away, but adding Steven Matz is a great step in the right direction for the club. Only giving up Blaze Jordan, a prospect who was blocked at both positions and would surely be taken in the Rule 5 draft next year, is a steal for Craig Breslow. Matz adds a left-handed specialty that the bullpen needs, even if that means other relievers have to be moved to accommodate him.

The Red Sox look as though they are in a place to be buyers just days away from the trade deadline. With reports that Jarren Duran is now off the market, it may seem like Boston has no intention of dealing players from the big league roster. Not so! Below, we’re going to break down three major league contributors and the case for trading them, and some trade comps to see what a return could look like. While predicting trade packages is nearly impossible, knowing that this is very much a sellers market means that a return coming back to Boston would likely be even a bit more favorable than the recent examples. Aroldis Chapman, LHP Why He Should be Traded I figured I’d start with the most controversial name. The Red Sox don’t currently have an answer to replace Chapman in the bullpen, though Garrett Whitlock is making a strong case to be in that conversation. Regardless, that shouldn’t stop the front office from listening to offers on their lefty closer. Why? He’s 37 years old and on a one-year, $10.75 million deal. He’s had a career resurgence in Boston this season and that’s fantastic, but it would be foolish to expect this to continue past 2025. The Red Sox shouldn’t entertain locking him into a multi-year contract, so the smart move here is to trade him while the market is losing pitching targets left and right. The market for Chapman will never be hotter and the Red Sox need to capitalize on that. His 1.30 ERA over 41 2/3 innings is incredible, but as we saw when he exited the finale against the Dodgers with back tightness, things may be going in the other direction for Chapman. If that’s the case, holding onto him instead of selling incredibly high is the absolute worst thing the team can do. Recent Trade Comp - Aroldis Chapman in 2023 We don’t have to look far to have an easy trade comp for Chapman. Let’s wind the clock back just a few seasons to 2023, when the Kansas City Royals swapped Chapman to the Texas Rangers for Cole Ragans and Roni Cabrera. Ragans, who is currently injured, is the No. 2 starter for the Royals when he’s healthy. The Red Sox are rumored to be interested in a starter of that caliber, and if they want to actually land that at the deadline, Chapman could be at the center of that package. Trading Chapman would require the Sox to bring in another elite level closer at some point down the road, but this would be the right move in the long-term for the franchise. Walker Buehler, RHP Why He Should be Traded The eye test isn’t a thing Buehler will pass while he’s in Boston. His postseason success in 2024 likely gave the Red Sox confidence to bring him in and hope they could finish unlocking whatever needed to be figured out so he could be a solid major league contributor again. So far, that’s failed to happen. When Buehler is up for his turn through the rotation, there is very little confidence that the game isn’t going to get out of hand quickly. His 5.72 ERA has come down thanks to a handful of low-scoring outings lately, but his walk percentage is at 10.1% while his strikeout rate is just 17.6%. We know he’s not throwing gas anymore, but you expect him to be able to get more swings and misses. He’s just not doing that though. The value here, low though it may be, is present for a team that is looking for a back-end starter with postseason experience. Recent Trade Comp - Martin Perez in 2024 Last season, in an attempt to push themselves over the edge in a loaded NL West division, the Padres traded for LHP Martin Perez. In the deal, they sent LHP Ronaldys Jimenez to the Pirates. Jimenez was playing rookie ball in the Dominican Summer League when he was traded and is currently with the FCL Pirates with a 2-1 record and a 4.18 ERA. If Buehler is moved, a deal on the fringes of the organization is about all you could hope to get in return for him. This would be addition by subtraction more than anything, and only advisable if the Red Sox swing a deal for another starter. David Hamilton, UTIL Why He Should be Traded We all know that David Hamilton is on the team due to his versatility and ability to be a menace on the basepaths. Just look at when he came in as a pinch-runner in the top of the ninth against the Twins. He stole second and third to give the team a chance to score, which they did. His value lies in his speed, and the Red Sox have enough speed to be able to make Hamilton available in the right deal. He’s slashing just .179/.229/.276, and while he plays a passable second base, he’s not needed once Marcelo Mayer returns from his wrist injury. He’s still relatively young, only 27, and won’t reach free agency until 2030. While there’s not a ton of meat on the bone here, a team looking for a late-inning spark on its bench could do far worse than Hamilton. Recent Trade Comp - Tommy Edman in 2024 While not a perfect comp, the trade of Edman from the Cardinals to the Dodgers is the closest I think we can get here. Edman was part of a three-team dea,l so that complicates things a bit, but the Cardinals received cash back for Edman. As part of that trade, they also received recently-traded starter Erick Fedde and journeyman Tommy Pham. We already know that the Yankees are interested in Hamilton, so that should indicate that other teams may be sniffing around him as well. If the Sox are willing to listen on Hamilton, then a deal for him straight up likely won’t net much in return. If he’s part of a larger package, or another multi-team swap, then Boston could easily come out on top in that trade.

As the trade deadline draws near, the Boston Red Sox still have a few holes they need to plug before declaring themselves a legitimate playoff-caliber team. There have been a few teams around the league that have signaled that they are open for business, hoping to take advantage of a sellers market. The St. Louis Cardinals are one of those teams, per The Athletic’s Katie Woo, who specifically mentions a handful of Red Bird relievers that could be dealt over the next few days. As luck would have it, the Red Sox have a pressing need for bullpen arms. The Cardinals have a plethora of relievers that should be of interest to the Red Sox. The Cardinals have underperformed for most of the season, but their bullpen has been fairly consistent when called upon. We’ve highlighted a couple of their arms here at Talk Sox over the last few weeks, so instead of writing individual pieces over each one, I decided to put together an overview for those who may not be as familiar with the available options. Many of their arms are on expiring contracts. Ryan Helsley, RHP We’ve covered Helsley quite a bit over the last few weeks, so I won’t spend a ton of time here, but adding him to the bullpen would solidify the backend more than most other relievers on the market. If the team decided to give Aroldis Chapman some more days off — and after his back tightness on July 27, that should be in consideration — Helsley would be able to come in and close the door just as well. Should the team entertain trading Chapman, then Helsley would be the closer for the remainder of the season, and he should be locked into a long-term deal to remain the closer in Boston for the foreseeable future. He’s on an expiring contract and would only be owed a fraction of his $8.2 million salary. He also has one of the coolest entrances in the game and it would be even better at Fenway. Phil Maton, RHP Maton is a bit of a journeyman reliever, playing for five teams since he debuted in 2017. He works with a four pitch mix: a curve, cutter, sweeper, and sinker. He features his curve and cutter more than the other two offerings. So far in 2025, he’s sitting on a 2.35 ERA with 48 strikeouts over 38.1 innings pitched. Where he’s shined this season is in his strikeout rate, 30.4%. He isn’t a ‘blow you away’ type of pitcher, but he gets swing and miss with each of his pitches. His exit velocity is in the 99th percentile of MLB relievers, and his expected stats all range in the top four percent as well. He’s notched 20 holds on the season, so he can slot in as an eighth inning set-up man to give the closer a clean inning before they have to enter the game. He’s proven to be incredibly dependable this season and would allow some of the Red Sox’s relievers to slide down in the pecking order, giving them fewer high-leverage situations to sweat out. Maton will become a free agent at the end of the season. Steven Matz, LHP Like Helsley above, Matz has been covered here on Talk Sox a bit in recent weeks. The biggest flaw with Matz is that he’s left-handed and the Red Sox currently already have three southpaws in their bullpen. There likely isn’t room for another one, especially one on an expiring contract. If there’s belief within the system that Matz could be converted back into a starter, then he could be worth a look, but that kind of transition may be better suited for the offseason, rather the middle of a successful campaign. Matz is hanging onto a 3.23 ERA currently and has posted 46 strikeouts over 53 innings pitched. Like Helsely and Maton above, Matz will be a free agent at the end of the season. JoJo Romero, LHP Like Matz above, Romero is a left-handed reliever. The difference here though, is that Romero is still under team control for two more seasons. He operates as a set-up man for the Red Birds and brings an energy to the mound that is hard to match. No matter the situation, Romero is pumped to get outs. He comes off the mound screaming after strikeouts and struts around with the swagger of someone who belongs on a contending team. He’s currently sporting a 2.12 ERA with 34 strikeouts over 34 innings pitched. He’s a slider-first pitcher with a sinker, changeup, and four-seamer in his back pocket. His expected stats all rank in the top seven percent of MLB relievers, a stark improvement over last year. He sports a 24.1% strikeout rate to go along with a 52.9% groundball percentage. With the recently-improved defense of the infield, Romero could make a huge impact coming out of the 'pen. Acquiring him would likely mean some roster manipulation with Justin Wilson or Brennan Bernardino (or a trade of Chapman), but Romero could be a long-term improvement over the current crop of relievers. The St. Louis Cardinals have four impact arms that the Red Sox should at least kick the tires on as the trade deadline approaches. While Matz isn’t a perfect fit for the bullpen, the other three all could become high-leverage arms in Boston. The Red Sox are just a couple of trades away from being legitimate contenders as October draws near, and this trade deadline could set them up in the bullpen for years to come.

The Red Sox are entering the second half of the season looking like a legitimate playoff team. One thing that has hindered the team this season, though, is an overtaxed bullpen. Coming out of the All-Star break, the bullpen has thrown 358 innings, the 11th most in MLB. They have an ERA of 3.44, FIP of 3.50, and a WAR of 4.5. Though they may be overtaxed, the bullpen has been one of the better units in the game. That doesn’t mean that they can’t use some reinforcements, though, especially if the team is still considering trading closer Aroldis Chapman. Let’s take a look at some potential reliever options for the Red Sox. The White Whale Mason Miller, RHP I’m getting this one out of the way first because it’s going to cost a ton to land someone like Miller, even if he’s having a down season. He currently sports a 4.04 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 19 saves over 35 2/3 innings. In play with Miller, there is still considerable belief around the league that he can be converted back into a starter. If the Red Sox were to trade Chapman, they’d have a massive hole at the back end of the bullpen to fill and Mason Miller could slot in perfectly. Then, if Andrew Bailey and company think he can be converted into a starter, it adds another potential elite arm into the rotation. It could be a pipe dream, and it likely is, but the A’s are primed to be big-time sellers, and there is no bigger prize available on that team than Mason Miller. Big Splashes Ryan Helsley, RHP Nick John has already written an excellent piece about how trading for Helsley could transform the bullpen, and he’s 100% correct. He’s currently sitting with a 3.27 ERA over 33 innings with 36 strikeouts and 19 saves. The biggest thing about Helsley is he’s a rental and won’t be cheap to add. If the Sox were to swing a trade for him, you’d likely see him work in tandem with Chapman depending on how the opposing lineup was set to stack up in the ninth. While he’s a rental, he’s far younger than Chapman and would be an excellent candidate to sign to an extension after acquiring him. That would allow the team to either trade Chapman while his value is incredibly high, or let him walk in the offseason while Helsley slides into the full-time closer role. Lucas Erceg, RHP The Royals and Red Sox have been trade partners a few times in recent years, so Craig Breslow may want to give the Royals a call and see what it would take to acquire Erceg. Like Miller above, Erceg is young and would be expensive, but he would be well worth the cost. He currently sits at a 2.15 ERA, 31 strikeouts, and a 3.16 FIP over 37 2/3 innings pitched. He’s a slider-first reliever with a four-seam fastball that tops out at 98 MPH, and his four-pitch mix means he keeps hitters on their toes. He boasts a 21.2% strikeout rate, complemented by a 6.8% walk rate and 58.4% groundball rate. Now that Alex Bregman has returned to the lineup and Marcelo Mayer has shifted over to second base, the defense surrounding the pitcher has taken a significant step forward, so Erceg would feel comfortable each time he steps to the mound. Cade Smith, RHP The Guardians are notoriously difficult to trade with, but that doesn’t mean that Breslow shouldn’t kick the tires on Smith. He’s the same age as Miller above, but without the All-Star pedigree or the saves to his name. He works best as a set-up man and would allow relievers already in the Sox’s bullpen to be moved around and play based on whatever the matchups dictate. He currently has a 3.07 ERA with a 2.06 FIP and 61 strikeouts over 41 innings pitched. Bringing in Smith would allow the Red Sox to ease Justin Slaten back into the pen as he returns to health, give Greg Weissert some lower-leverage innings along with some much-needed rest, and shift guys like Brennan Bernardino into lower-leverage roles as well. If the Guardians are willing to make Smith available, the Red Sox should be at the front of the line to acquire his services. Griffin Jax, RHP Jax isn’t the pitcher from the Twins that most Red Sox fans have been salivating over since the All-Star break began, but adding him to the bullpen could be almost as beneficial. He’s sitting on a 3.92 ERA with 66 strikeouts and a 1.87 FIP over 66 innings pitched. Like Smith and Erceg above, he would slot in as an everyday set-up arm for the closer. He’s a sweeper-first pitcher with a power change-up and three fastball offerings. His strikeout percentage, 37.9%, is the second highest in MLB; while his ERA is approaching four on the season, his xERA is sitting at 2.98, indicating that he has been unlucky at times throughout the season, and his 2.04 FIP is tenth-best in baseball for relievers with 20 or more innings pitched. Having his sweeper and power change-up in the eighth inning, then seeing Chapman come out for the ninth would surely give opposing hitters pause for concern. Adding an arm like Jax would be a bit more cost-effective than the names above, and could produce similar value. Not So Splashy but Effective Steven Matz, LHP Matz has found his way into the bullpen for the Cardinals this season, and it has given him a place to shine. He’s holding a 3.35 ERA, with 45 strikeouts and a 2.93 WHIP over 51 innings. The caveat here is that the Red Sox already have three left-handed pitchers in their bullpen, and adding one seems unlikely. That being said, Matz is in the final year of his four-year, $44 million contract, so the Sox wouldn’t have to give up a ton to land him. His strikeout rate is sitting at 21.4% and his walk rate is at 4.3%. He’s been reliable out of the pen for the Red Birds. If a deal is made with St. Louis, you’d like it to be for Helsley above. However, if the team is looking to make more fringe-type additions, then an arm like Matz could be a smart play if the team believes carrying four left-handed relievers is a good idea. Emilio Pagan, RHP Ever the journeyman, Pagan has shone this year. He’s sitting on an impressive 2.93 ERA with 50 strikeouts and a 3.91 FIP over 40 innings pitched. Thirty-four years old and in the final year of a two-year, $16 million contract, so he’d likely be even cheaper than Matz. The Reds are still flirting with the third Wild Card spot in the National League, but have the potential to slide before the deadline at the end of July. Pagan would offer veteran experience and can slot into multiple roles in the bullpen for the Red Sox. He’s far from the flashiest move here, but adding a reliever with Pagan’s stats this season could be a secondary type of move that would fully push the Red Sox into the postseason conversation. These are just a few names, and one wish, that the Red Sox could look to bring in to help an overworked bullpen as the trade deadline draws near. A team with championship aspirations can never have too much help in the bullpen, just ask the Dodgers. Who do you think the Sox should bring in to help bolster the bullpen? Sound off in the comments below!

The Miami Marlins are currently in third in the NL East with a record of 48-53, and they are six and a half games back in the NL Wild Card. They’ve been mired in mediocrity for the last few seasons and 2025 is no different. Much like seasons past, the Marlins have pitchers that are of interest to multiple teams, including the Boston Red Sox. Notably, former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara will likely be moved at the deadline and the Sox were likely planning to kick the tires on him to see what the asking price is, but the big prize from the Marlins should be Edward Cabrera. I’ve written about Cabrera most recently when I named four players that Craig Breslow should have on his wishlist, but he’s been a name I’ve followed for a while. The Red Sox have reportedly sniffed around him in the past, when he was still figuring things out as a starter in the majors, but he seems to have put everything together here in 2025. His record is a bit deceptive, currently sitting at four wins and losses apiece, but his ERA is a sturdy 3.48 with 92 strikeouts over 88 innings. In contrast, Alcantara has a 7.14 ERA with 97 strikeouts over 97 innings pitched. He's been slightly better in recent months after a truly disastrous start to the season, but the Alcantara of old he is not. He typically hovers between five and six innings pitched on most starts and hasn’t given up less than three runs since June 16. On the season, he’s given up two or less runs only six times. Cabrera has given up two or less runs ten times this season. Cabrera has also gone seven innings twice in the month of July, and into the seventh inning one other time this season, whereas Alcantara hasn’t gone into the seventh at all. While neither pitcher screams longevity, the better bet is on the younger arm. On that note, both pitchers come with injury concern. On July 11, Cabrera left his start against the Orioles after only four innings with posterior right elbow discomfort. He went for an MRI on July 12 to try and get more answers about why the discomfort showed up and the MRI showed no major damage. He was able to throw from a mound on the Thursday after the All-Star game and again the following Sunday. He made his first start of the second half against the Padres on July 22 and allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2023 and missed the entire 2024 season. His return to the mound was highly anticipated in 2025, but it has been less than stellar so far. The Red Sox don’t have to look far to understand both the highs and lows of pitchers returning from elbow injuries; Lucas Giolito seems to have finally turned the corner in his own rebound, though while Walker Buehler showed dominance in the 2024 postseason in short bursts, he’s looked lost more often than not on the mound for the Red Sox in 2025. Alcantara falls into the same category as Buehler, and the hope for him is that he can fully rebound as the season goes on. Any team acquiring either of these pitchers is surely taking a risk, but the smart baseball minds can build trade packages to make either pitcher a calculated risk for their organization. The biggest determining factor in which Marlins pitcher the Red Sox should target is unquestionably their cost. While Alcantara has an award-winning pedigree, his trade value has never been lower than it is right now. He’s on the fourth year of a five-year, $56 million contract that carries him through 2026 with a club option for 2027. He’s going to cost at least one major league piece and some prospects. Cabrera, on the other hand, is in arbitration and is making $1.95 million this season. He won’t reach free agency until after 2028 as a Super Two player, so the price tag for him, even with an elbow issue that will possibly need surgical correction down the road, will be sky high. We’re talking a major league piece (or pieces) and prospects that you’ve heard of even if you don’t follow the minor leagues that closely. There would surely be debate amongst fans about if that price tag is worth it, but if the medical side of things checks out, then a pitcher like Cabrera is the exact type of calculated risk the Red Sox should take as a win-now organization. Sure, Alcantara could turn the corner in 2026, but if there is belief that the Red Sox can win this season, then he’s probably not the pitcher that is best equipped to do that. You’d be swapping Buehler’s spot in the rotation for another Buehler type in Alcantara. Cabrera can slide in as a legit number two option to take the pressure off Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Richard Fitts. The Marlins are bound to receive multiple calls from all over the league, but the Red Sox have the expendable major league talent and a talented pool of prospects to get a deal done for Edward Cabrera. The elbow discomfort is typically the first sign of bigger problems with pitchers, but he’s been cleared once already this season, and as long as his medicals don't possess anything too scary, he'll likely be traded at the deadline. Let’s hope it’s to Boston.

Steve Perrault of Section 10 and Bleacher Report's Walk-Off hosted a live stream over the weekend where he connected the Red Sox to Orioles’ first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. Perrault said, “A little birdie told me that the Red Sox are very interested in getting O’Hearn from the Orioles and that the price might not be as high as some folks might think.” The perfect role for Ryan O’Hearn in Boston would be working in a first base platoon role with Romy Gonzalez. Yes, the team has Abraham Toro, and he has played mostly well, but he’s come down to earth a ton over the last few weeks and his walk rate, 5.9%, leaves a ton to be desired. Replacing him with O’Hearn in the platoon would be a net positive for the Red Sox, especially since O’Hearn’s splits are less than ideal. Against right-handed pitching this season, O’Hearn is slashing .291/.377/.489 with all of his home runs (12) coming against them. Against lefties, he’s slashing just .216/.322/.275. His hard hit percentage drops from 51.3% against righties to 33.3% against southpaws. That sounds like the absolute perfect match to platoon with Romy Gonzalez who, as we all know, absolutely mashes lefties. Toro has been a fine platoon partner that allows Gonzalez to play all over the infield, but he’s settled into being a replacement-level option and adding someone like O’Hearn solidifies the first base position as the team pushes toward the postseason. O’Hearn’s power profile plays very well at Fenway Park as well. Eight of his 12 home runs have come at home this season. If we overlay his spray chart on Fenway Park, we see that he would add five to six more home runs to his stat line (assuming he played every game in Boston). While Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela have upped their offensive firepower, the Sox are still missing a fence-clearing threat that sits somewhere around fifth or sixth in the lineup. Roman Anthony will find his power, as will Marcelo Mayer, but adding in Ryan O’Hearn would help take some of the pressure off the shoulders of everyone around him. Being able to add a few more home runs at home for the remainder of the season would hopefully mean that the Sox don’t find themselves dropping those one-run games they were so prone to doing at the onset of the season. O’Hearn isn’t the typical player you’d see the Red Sox swing a trade for given his divisional proximity, but he’s the exact type of win-now player the team can trade for to ensure their spot in the postseason is protected. He’s got power, plays an above average first base, and give Alex Cora some flexibility at the DH spot. He’d be a cheap addition that brings some All-Star-level talent to the offensive on an almost-daily basis.

On July 21, ESPN’s Jeff Passan updated his top 50 trade deadline candidates. Notably, the Red Sox only have one name on this list this time around, Jarren Duran at number three with a trade percentage of 25%. More interestingly, though, is the amount of names Passan connected to the Red Sox. Instead of writing them all out, I’ll include Gordo’s tweet listing them: There are some fascinating names on that list, including a few that we’ve talked about here on Talk Sox, but the name that should stand out to everyone is Kris Bubic. To date, Bubic’s name hasn’t popped up on many radars, as he’s just 27 and still has a year and a half of team control left. The general thought was that Kansas City wouldn’t make him available if they were still in contention for a playoff spot, but those hopes seem to be fading. Cole Ragans is nursing a shoulder injury and the belief is that Seth Lugo is likely on his way out of the door as the deadline draws near. While Lugo would be a huge get for the Sox, Bubic is arguably the best No. 2 starter potentially available on the trade market. Bubic isn’t going to blow you away by any means. He has a five-pitch mix that tops out at 92.2 mph on his four-seam fastball and dips down to 83 mph on his sweeper. His changeup and slider come in at almost identical speeds, 85.5 mph for the changeup and 85.4 mph for the slider, while he occasionally throws a sinker that averages 91.7 mph. It's the way he mixes in those offerings that makes him dominant, though. He’s currently working with a 2.38 ERA over 113.2 innings pitched. In those innings, he’s notched 115 strikeouts with a 2.76 FIP, a 24.6% strikeout percentage and a 7.6% walk rate. He’s pitched his way to a 3.2 fWAR on the season, which would be good for second on the team behind Garrett Crochet and almost a full two points ahead of the next-ranked Boston pitcher, Lucas Giolito, at 1.4. Adding him in as the second starter behind Crochet would give the Red Sox two lefties to kick off the rotation, but that’s fine. If you’re trotting out two dominant left-handed pitchers back-to-back, that’s not a bad thing (the Cubs do the same thing with Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd, and it's worked quite well for them). You’d have polar opposite pitchers toeing the rubber. A flamethrower followed by a location specialist. If we look at his detailed zone chart from Baseball Savant, we see that he controls the edge of the plate incredibly well. Though Bubic isn’t lighting up the radar gun, he’s great at getting weak contact. He’s sitting on a 47.4% groundball percentage and his spray heat map from Baseball Savant shows that typically he gets hitters to put the ball in play on the third base side of the diamond, otherwise known as the area where reigning Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman plays. It spreads out a bit to Trevor Story at short and Marcelo Mayer at second from there, both of whom are sure-handed defenders. One thing that the Red Sox have prioritized since they went on their winning streak to close the first half of the season is defense. They’ve held up behind contact specialist Brayan Bello throughout the year, so adding another contact-heavy pitcher into the rotation shouldn’t shake things up too much. In fact, adding one of Bubic’s ilk will likely put them more at ease. The downside to Bubic is that he’s going to be incredibly expensive. As I mentioned above, he’s only 27 and has a year and a half of control left on his contract. He’s currently in arbitration, where he’s making just $3 million for 2025. That number is sure to increase next year if he can keep this pace up. For whatever Bubic costs, adding him will be worth it. He would help solidify the starting rotation for the rest of this season and for 2026 as well. Plus, if the Sox were to swing a trade for Bubic, I’d expect them to lock him into a long-term contract like they did with Garrett Crochet. Much like Crochet, the price for Bubic will be high and giving up whatever the Royals get back in the deal pretty much forces Boston’s hand to keep Bubic here long-term. I don’t think anyone anticipated Kris Bubic potentially being an option for the Red Sox even just a week ago. If Jeff Passan is talking about it though, there has to be some smoke coming from somewhere. Bubic won’t be cheap, but the Red Sox and Royals match up incredibly well for each other’s needs as the deadline approaches. It's rare that something so obvious appears on our radars so late into the rumor mill cycle, but it's hard to imagine a better target at the trade deadline now.

Dear Trevor Story, I’m sorry. There, I said it. I’m big enough to admit when I am wrong. Here we are more than halfway through July, and I’ve eaten countless words that I’ve typed and said about you. I called for you to be traded, benched, even DFA’d. I was able to start walking it back last month as I included you in the Hitters of the Month for June, and you’re making a case to be there again in July. I mean, the low and away slider is still your kryptonite, but we don’t have to talk about that here. This is me celebrating you and admitting that I was wrong. Since June 1, you’ve been one of the best hitters in the game. You rank 21st overall in batting average with .303. Some big names are sitting behind you on that list, like Juan Soto. You may remember him from when the Red Sox were trying to sign him to the most expensive contract in baseball history. Yeah, you’ve been better than him when it comes to putting the bat to the ball. Can we talk about RBIs for a second though? You’re FIFTH in the majors with 35 since then. Incredible. That walk percentage is pretty low at 5% but once again, we’re not here to dwell on the negative. If we narrow it down to just MLB shortstops, you move up to fifth in batting average on that list behind some pretty solid names like Elly De La Cruz and Gunnar Henderson. There’s only one shortstop in front of you in home runs too, Willy Adames, but he plays in a park built for homers half the time, so it’s okay. What’s crazier, though, is you have a 100% success rate on stolen bases. I knew you could be quick on the basepaths, but man, 16 bags without being caught? Impressive. I’d like to discuss your defense briefly before I sign off here. While the numbers don’t support you having improved your defense, at all, you’re passing the eye test and making some incredible plays at shortstop. We all know that short is one of the most challenging positions to field on the diamond and that incredible jump throw from earlier in the month should be the first thing that pops up when people search ‘Derek Jeter jump throw’ because that’s what he wishes it looked like. It was a thing of beauty and the type of play I know you’ve been dying to make since signing with the Red Sox. You can’t help that you’ve been injured while being hit by a pitch or making a diving play that separated your shoulder. Injuries are part of the game, no doubt, but you’ve had your fair share of unfortunate and untimely injuries. I’ll repeat it, TS10. I’m sorry I doubted you and called for you to be traded, benched, and DFA’d. I was just hoping for the best possible player you could be, and it took you finding your groove in June to show everyone how much you mean to this team. I sincerely hope that this newfound success lasts for the remainder of the season and the duration of the contract that you’re sure to opt into. Can’t wait for that. All the best, Alex