Red Sox Could Trade For Mariners Breakout Star With 2.94 ERA, Per Insider

Some exciting pitching news could be on the horizon

May 12, 2018; Detroit, MI, USA; Hat and glove of Seattle Mariners center fielder Dee Gordon (9) sits in dugout during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Aces: The Boston Red Sox are constantly searching for them, whereas the Seattle Mariners at times seem to be made at them.

Few teams have been better across Major League Baseball than Seattle when developing starting pitching. The Mariners' 2024 starting pitching group was easily a top-five rotation by any reasonable metric, and yet, the team missed the playoffs for the 22nd time in 23 years.

If the Mariners are willing to shake things up in search of offense, the Red Sox make perfect sense as a trade partner, given their overabundance of left-handed bats (something Seattle needs) and desire to contend in 2025. But which pitcher might they look to target in a trade?

Four young, controllable starters all make sense for the Red Sox: George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller. Of the four, though, perhaps Miller will be the name Seattle is most open to parting with for the right price.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive recently named Miller, as well as the other Seattle starters, as prospective Red Sox offseason trade targets.

"Breslow could also look to Seattle to try to pry George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo or Bryce Miller," Cotillo said.

Miller, who just turned 26, is coming off a true breakout campaign. He dropped his ERA from 4.32 in 25 starts as a rookie in 2023 to 2.94 in 31 starts in 2024. He also had a 12-8 record, 171 strikeouts in 180 1/3 innings pitched, and a remarkable 0.98 WHIP.

Watching Miller pitch is extremely fun because of how he aggressively attacks hitters. His four-seam fastball plays in all quadrants of the zone and he tunnels his split-finger off it to devastating effect. When he's on, he can be one of the most dominant starters in MLB.

The Red Sox desperately need a starter like that. Whether they will listen to folks like Cotillo and pursue them via trade remains to be seen.

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