Pair Of Ex-Red Sox Pitchers Expected To Be Dealt Prior To Trade Deadline

Boston will see some familiar faces moved in the coming days

Scott Neville | Jul 31, 2023

Pair Of Ex-Red Sox Pitchers Expected To Be Dealt Prior To Trade Deadline /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are in the market for starting pitching and will have to mull over some familiar options with less than 24 hours until Tuesday's Major League Baseball Trade Deadline.

While it's not highly likely that the Red Sox will go that direction, at least two former friends almost certainly will be on the move.

Those options are Eduardo Rodriguez and Rich Hill, two southpaws who spent plenty of time in Boston.

Rodriguez will "definitely" be traded before the deadline according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale on Monday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly have shown interest in their quest to claim every member of the 2018 Red Sox -- they already have Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, Joe Kelly and Ryan Brasier -- David Price and Craig Kimbrel had brief stays there as well since the championship.

Rodriguez has a 2.95 ERA, 91-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .216 batting average against and 1.03 WHIP in 88 1/3 across 15 starts. The 30-year-old arguably is the top pitcher on the trade market, maybe behind New York Mets ace Justin Verlander.

Hill reportedly is drawing heaps of trade interest as a low-budget rental for teams who do not need a frontline starter but could use some depth. The 43-year-old has a 4.76 ERA with a 104-to-47 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .272 batting average against and a 1.48 WHIP in 119 innings across 22 starts.

The veteran will not make whichever fanbase that acquires him excited upon arrival but he could provide some innings for a team that does not want to go all-out on a rental -- likely due to their placing in the standings.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has not ruled out rentals but did seem to want to stay away from impending free agents at the deadline. That could put both hurlers out of contention for another stint in Boston. Either way, they'll be on the move.

More MLB: Red Sox Fan-Favorite Outfielder Surprisingly Placed On Trade Block

Published Jul 31, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu