Potential Red Sox Trade Target 'Name To Watch' With Deadline Looming

Boston could use the help

Scott Neville | Jul 30, 2024

Apr 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A general view of Fenway Park before the Boston Red Sox home opener against the Baltimore Orioles. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

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Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been active ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline but has yet to make much of a splash that would aid the current roster.

His biggest move was to trade second base prospect Nick Yorke to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-hander Quinn Priester -- who will join Triple-A Worcester. While full of potential, the 23-year-old is not supposed to have much impact on 2024, if any.

The priority at this juncture is to upgrade both the bullpen and the lineup, specifically with a right-handed bat. However, an opportunity to bolster the rotation for this season and next has presented itself and Breslow should be involved.

"(Los Angeles) Angels left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson is one name to watch today," MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported Tuesday. "He is among the most consistent starters in Major League Baseball this season, even though he does not post gaudy strikeout numbers. He is under contract for $13 million next year, a very reasonable figure."

Anderson has a 2.96 ERA with a 99-to-49 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .210 batting average against and a 1.14 WHIP in 130 2/3 innings across 21 starts this season.

The Red Sox's current rotation has been struggling mightily as of late. Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford will have to return to first-half form in order for this team to go. Nick Pivetta and Bryan Bello continue to be up and down and James Paxton is a wild card.

None of those players are expected to be moved into the bullpen but Breslow could get creative. A trade for Anderson would allow the first-time leader of baseball operations to shop Pivetta, allowing him to upgrade a rotation spot and recoup some prospect capital lost in the original deal.

The best-case scenario would be to move Pivetta back to the recently depleted bullpen, as they did last season, but the veteran was not a fan of the move initially and could be irate again if demoted.

It's unlikely that the Red Sox improve the rotation given the moves already made and the areas that have yet to be addressed -- but Anderson would be a fantastic addition both for 2024 and 2025.

More MLB: Ex-Red Sox Outfielder Seen As Top MLB Trade Target; Reunion Would Make Sense

Published Jul 30, 2024

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