Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Linked To Cardinals Starter As Most Logical Trade Pairing

Boston is likely to add some pitching at the trade deadline
Scott Neville|
Red Sox Linked To Cardinals Starter As Most Logical Trade Pairing
Red Sox Linked To Cardinals Starter As Most Logical Trade Pairing

In this story:

Boston Red SoxSt. Louis Cardinals

The Boston Red Sox are expected to be very busy in the upcoming days, possibly walking the line as both buyers and sellers, as they did a season ago. 

However, this time around, they are expected to lean a lot more heavily into the buy side of things, with backend starters and high-leverage relievers at the forefront of their shopping list. 

The Athletic's Jim Bowden reinforced that mindset while explaining Boston's most-likely approach in the coming days.

"A Red Sox reunion with (Eduardo) Rodriguez seems unlikely. I love the concept of (Marcus) Stroman, but not the (Chicago) Cubs’ asking price," Bowden wrote Monday. "I feel like (Jack) Flaherty would be the best value; his strong makeup and competitiveness probably make the health risk worth taking."

Flaherty fits the mold of a backend starter for a contender, as he has solid numbers but a high ceiling. The 27-year-old impending free agent has a 4.39 ERA with a 102-to-52 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .273 batting average against and 1.53 WHIP in 104 2/3 innings across 19 starts. He also has much better career numbers than season numbers (career 3.57 ERA with a 115 ERA+ and fourth-place Cy Young finish in 2019).

He's one of the most frustrating players to watch, as he still produces but allows both a lot of contact and walks. If Boston is going to actually "buy" at the deadline, his teammate Jordan Montgomery would make a lot of sense, not only to trade for but to extend in the offseason. 

It sounds like the Red Sox would prefer a lighter acquisition that won't cost nearly as much but that's not going to solve a whole lot. 

More MLB: Red Sox Slugger Takes Hard Stance On Whether He Wants To Be Traded

Published
Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

Share on XFollow scottneville46
Home/Boston Red Sox News