Red Sox Could Make Risky Trade For Dodgers' $5.4 Million All-Star

How soon will Craig Breslow make another move?

Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Boston Red Six chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox fans are no longer in collective revolt — Boston picked up a win on Tuesday night in Tampa.

Walker Buehler pitched five solid innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs, and the Red Sox used a 5-for-5, two-home-run performance from Alex Bregman to overcome the Tampa Bay Rays 7-4 in a much-needed bounce-back performance after getting obliterated 16-1 on Monday night.

Buehler’s outing was a welcome sight for Boston. The former Los Angeles Dodgers hurler is now 2-1 on the season after a mediocre start, and he appears to be shaping into form.

The Red Sox need Buehler to be at his best, because Tanner Houck hasn’t been, and the majority of Boston’s starting pitchers are injured.

And while IL stints for Richard Fitts, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Lucas Giolito won’t last forever, the Red Sox are still in a precarious position from a rotation standpoint.

Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is surely scanning the market for potential additions. It wouldn’t be prudent for Breslow to swing big on a guy like Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara before seeing what Bello and Co. look like upon returning. However, adding a low-cost, under-the-radar starter as soon as possible wouldn’t hurt.

Possible targets in this vein include Los Angeles Angels’ Kyle Hendricks or Dodgers’ Bobby Miller.

Another Dodgers arm to monitor for the Red Sox is 30-year-old Tony Gonsolin.

Gonsolin hasn’t been healthy for a while, but a five-strikeout rehab stint this week indicated that he’s close to returning to full strength after suffering a back injury during Spring Training.

An All-Star for the Dodgers in 2022, Gonsolin underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and missed all of last season. The right-hander is on a $5.4 million deal with Los Angeles with another year of arbitration coming in 2026.

The health risk is obvious for any team looking to take on Gonsolin, Boston included. But that same risk might make the Dodgers okay with trading Gonsolin, perhaps for a lower return than a player of his talent level would normally demand.

Breslow could inquire about Gonsolin and see if the price is right.

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