Red Sox Reportedly Lost Bidding War To Cubs For Hurler With 100 MPH Fastball

Boston struck out in an effort to bolster the bullpen

Scott Neville | Jul 28, 2024

Jun 11, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Nate Pearson (24) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

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The Boston Red Sox have been active in trade discussions ahead of the July 30 deadline but have only made a pair of moves -- neither of which are expected to have a large impact on the American League playoff race.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, however, has been working diligently and almost swung a trade with an intra-division foe to bolster the bullpen. Unfortunately, Boston was unable to compete with the Chicago Cubs offer and will continue to scour the market for impact players.

"The Cubs traded for former Blue Jays phenomenal right-hander Nate Pearson, hoping to straighten him out," former Red Sox beat writer Peter Gammons reported Saturday. "The Red Sox were very much in the bidding, according to sources."

Pearson was once deemed the Blue Jays' top pitching prospect and was expected to become either a frontline starter or dominant closer. The 27-year-old has yet to approach his potential due to control issues and poor results when using his 97.6 mph fastball -- he has a .342 batting average against his heater this season.

The right-hander has a 5.63 ERA with a 51-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .285 batting average against and a 1.55 WHIP in 40 innings this season.

Pearson is not the ideal fit to come in Day 1 and immediately become a high-leverage option. He is, however, a toolsy player who is under team control through 2026 that pitching coach Andrew Bailey could work his magic on.

Alas, Boston will have to move on after whiffing on the deal -- though it may be a blessing in disguise given Pearson's lack of production at the highest level. The search for bullpen help continues and will have to be wrapped up by Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

More MLB: Red Sox Make Slew Of Notable Moves To Create Room For Trade Deadline Acquisitions

Published Jul 28, 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