Why Red Sox Should Have Traded For Current Orioles Star, According To Insider

Sometimes, the deals you don't make come back to haunt you...

Aug 9, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin (24) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports / Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox have had a bad 48 hours.

After a gut-wrenching home loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night, the Red Sox limped into Maryland and were pushed aside by the Baltimore Orioles, losing a 5-1 decision to open a crucial four-game series on Thursday.

The losses have been bad. The pitching has been worse. And Thursday served as a poignant reminder that the Red Sox could and should have done more at this season's trade deadline.

Boston's lineup was kept quiet on Thursday by new Baltimore acquisition Zach Eflin, who is now 4-0 in four starts since joining the Orioles. Eflin threw six strong innings, striking out eight and allowing just one run on a solo shot by outfielder Wilyer Abreu.

Eflin has been a brilliant acquisition for Baltimore to this point. And Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic wrote Friday that the Red Sox needed a pitcher of Eflin's caliber to reinforce their pitching staff at this year's deadline.

"Just days after the Red Sox watched the starting pitcher they acquired at the deadline — James Paxton — go down with a tear in his right calf, likely ending his season, Eflin’s performance stung even worse," McCaffrey said.

Eflin, 30, is one of the more dependable arms in the game these days. His 3.72 season ERA isn't eye-popping, but he's delivered 135 1/3 solid innings and has heated up as the season progresses. He's also one of the best control pitchers in the game, leading all pitchers with 1.0 walk per nine innings.

Meanwhile, Red Sox starters are all under some type of stress.

Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta have serious home run issues and Tanner Houck's control has waned in the second half. Brayan Bello has an ERA over five, and in a huge game Friday, the Red Sox will send Cooper Criswell, who hasn't started a game since July 23, to the hill against Corbin Burnes.

As Boston finds itself in a pickle, Baltimore has to be thanking its lucky stars it was able to land Eflin at the trade deadline. And if the righty keeps pitching like this, the Red Sox will receive plenty of reminders about what they missed out on the rest of the way.

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