Reunion With Former Red Sox Top Prospect Could Work With Deadline Coming

Boston should consider all options at this point

Jul 2, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Michael Kopech (34) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox have multiple holes on the roster to fill with just a few days to do so before the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Boston will be buyers ahead of the deadline despite a slow start to the second half of the season. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made it known that Boston is open for business and wants to add and now there are just five days to go until the deadline.

The Red Sox's biggest needs are another starting pitcher, a right-handed bat, and possibly one more reliever. It will be tough to fill all three of these holes, but it always could happen.

One player the Red Sox should consider to help in the bullpen is former top prospect Michael Kopech. He currently pitches for the Chicago White Sox but is expected to be moved, according to The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman and Tim Britton.

"It's just not going to happen for Michael Kopech in Chicago, but surely some team is convinced it can fix a former top-20 prospect with a triple-digit fastball and 12 strikeouts per nine innings," Gleeman and Britton said. "Whether starting or relieving, he's been doomed by too many homers and walks, but Kopech is an obvious buy-low candidate with another full season of team control remaining."

Kopech doesn't have great numbers this year, but when you have one of the best fastballs in baseball, you should be considered. Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey has done wonders with Boston's pitching this year, imagine what he could do with Kopech?

They could keep him in the bullpen for the rest of the season to help provide more depth and maybe even move him back to the starting rotation heading into 2025. He has stuff you can't teach. If Bailey could put him in a position to succeed, he could be a sneaky great option.

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