Red Sox Reportedly In Active Trade Talks; Could Blockbuster Be Coming Before Deadline?

Boston could have a move or two up its sleeve ahead of the trade deadline

The Boston Red Sox are wasting no time as the club looks to improve ahead of the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline. 

The trade deadline is set to pass on August 1 and there's sure to be plenty of rumors and movement ahead of it. Boston has had a roller coaster of a season so far and is 33-33 through 66 games. At times the Red Sox have looked like they could compete for a postseason spot this year, while at other times they have mightily struggled. 

Boston's biggest issue this season has stemmed from the starting rotation. The Red Sox have dealt with a wide range of injuries so far this season with Chris Sale, Brayan Bello, James Paxton, and Garrett Whitlock all missing time at various points. The club also has dealt with inconsistent play to the point where Nick Pivetta and Corey Kluber both have been sent to the bullpen. 

The Red Sox's offense has been stagnant as of late, but slugger Adam Duvall now is back and infielder Trevor Story should be back at some point this summer. If the Red Sox really want to make a run for a postseason spot, the club likely will need an addition to the starting rotation, and the club reportedly already is actively looking for a new hurler according to a conversation between The Athletic's Chad Jennings, and Boston general manager Brian O'Halloran.

"Before Sunday's 3-2 win against the (New York Yankees), both O'Halloran and manager Alex Cora acknowledged that the Red Sox have been actively shopping for pitching upgrades, though it's unclear whether anything of substance is close to coming together," Jennings said. 

"There have been some conversations," O'Halloran said. "Obviously, they've led to some smaller deals, but you never know when you're going to line up on something small or big, and obviously most of the big deals tend to get done closer to the deadline. But that doesn't mean something couldn't get done before then if it lines up." 

If the Red Sox were to acquire a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, they could compete for a postseason spot. They have shown some signs of life this season and with the added third Wild Card spot, there's sure to be competition for spots right down to the wire. Boston's rotation has started to turn things around as of late, but an addition couldn't hurt. With Sale expected to miss a significant chunk of time, adding another pitcher into the mix seems necessary. 

The starting pitching market is expected to be extremely competitive ahead of the trade deadline with hurlers like Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito, Detroit Tigers lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, or even former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber all expected to potentially be on the move plus others. Boston has the farm system to get a deal done and it is very interesting that they already are doing due diligence. Maybe we will see a new pitcher at Fenway Park in the not-so-distant future.

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