3 Realistic Red Sox Trade Targets To Improve Floundering Starting Rotation

It's been a brutal stretch for the Boston Red Sox, and the starting pitching shoulders at least a decent chunk of the blame.

The Red Sox are 8-10 on the season, including 2-6 in their last eight games. While they've only scored eight runs in that stretch, the longer-lasting concern is the rotation, especially after 2024 All-Star Tanner Houck's atrocious start on Monday night.

While the Red Sox expect to get help soon in the form of Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito, the combination of injuries and underperformance in the rotation has to have the front office at least weighing the possibility of improving the rotation via trade at some point this season.

But who could the Red Sox realistically target? Well, here are three pitchers for whom a trade makes sense, and whose teams currently sit with less than a 25 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to Fangraphs.

Sandy Alcantara (Miami Marlins)

Alcantara is going to be the crown jewel of the trade deadline, no matter how much the Marlins try to pretend like they're not sure about moving him. He's under team control through 2027 and as long as he can round into form by July, Miami is sure to get a haul in return.

Before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, Alcantara was the best in baseball at going deep into games, pitching nine complete games in his two most recent seasons. The 2022 National League Cy Young winner could be a transformative addition for Boston--but he'd cost them dearly in terms of prospect capital.

Nick Martinez (Cincinnati Reds)

Martinez took the qualifying offer from the Reds before the season, locking him into a one-year, $21.05 million deal (the same deal Nick Pivetta turned down to return to Boston). He's been shaky to start the season, but he does have 15 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings to offset his 6.06 ERA.

The Reds are 8-8, but Fangraphs gives them only a 12.4 percent chance of making the playoffs at the moment. They'd have to go on a losing streak of some kind to give up on their season by mid-July after acquiring former Red Sox great Terry Francona to be their manager in the offseason.

Mitch Keller (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Let's go back to the National League Central for a team that's truly reeling--the Pirates are 6-11 and stand just a 7.6 percent chance to make it to October according to Fangraphs. Keller threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings in his last outing, and he's a proven strikeout guy with high-end potential.

The Pirates' need for offense is so desperate that they might be willing to trade from their rotation depth for some of Boston's young hitters. And it doesn't hurt that the righty is owed over $71 million from now until 2028, which is a princely sum by the Pirates' cheapskate standards.

More MLB: Alex Cora Sounds Off On Red Sox All-Star's Brutal Start: 'All Over The Place'