MLB Insider Hints Red Sox Could Acquire 6-Time All-Star Pitcher At Deadline

This deal could help Red Sox's pitching needs

It's no secret that the Boston Red Sox starting rotation is hanging on by a thread.

For the last handful of weeks the team has had to piece together starts from a rotation that is missing Chris Sale, Tanner Houck, and Garrett Whitlock.

Not only have these starters been out, but there are still several question marks surrounding exactly when Red Sox fans can expect to see them back with the big league club.

This has led chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and company to consider external options that can bridge the gap to the return of a fully healthy Red Sox rotation.

MassLive's Sean McAdam examined the starting pitching market and proposed a solution that could make perfect sense.

"The Sox aren’t positioned to get into a bidding war for a front-line starter," McAdam wrote Tuesday. "Instead, they would do well to get someone who could give them five innings and keep the opposition to three runs or fewer."

"Other names that might fit: Detroit’s Michael Lorenzen and Kansas City’s Zack Greinke. The latter is well past his prime but has enough experience and guile to keep his team in most games. That’s precisely what the Red Sox could use."

My first reaction to seeing Zack Greinke's name pop up certainly wasn't one of excitement. He's nearing his 40th birthday and hasn't pitched in meaningful baseball games in a few years. But after some digging, the veteran righty actually might be a good fit for the Sox.

Greinke, who is the only remaining active player who made their MLB debut in 2004, has a 5.44 ERA with the Kansas City Royals this season in 18 starts.

What the Red Sox need is someone who can eat up innings, and that is exactly what Greinke can do.

Over his last five full seasons (removing the COVID-shortened year) Greinke has averaged 30.8 starts per season. He is the active innings pitched leader in all of Major League Baseball and, obviously, has experience pitching at Fenway Park.

Keep an eye out for the Red Sox potentially making a deal for Greinke. At first, I thought that was a wild proposal, but the more I look into it, this actually could make perfect sense for Boston.

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