Red Sox Predicted To Land High-Octane Reliever In Trade With AL East Rival

Bolstering the bullpen in Boston?

May 26, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Boston Red Sox hat during warmups prior the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's 10-game winning streak has made them presumptive buyers at the upcoming trade deadline.

Yes, the Red Sox traded superstar Rafael Devers in June, but that was a move made based on culture, not commitment to winning this year. Now that they're firmly in the playoff race (holding the second Wild Card spot at the All-Star break), we should expect the Red Sox to make some additions.

The bullpen is an area every contending team can improve, and Boston has overused many of their key relievers this year. Add that to the uncertainty regarding setup man Justin Slaten's shoulder injury, and there's reason for the Red Sox to add some firepower.

There are always lots of bullpen arms available at the trade deadline, but Jomboy Media's Chris Rose foresees the Red Sox staying in the American League East to find some help.

During Wednesday's episode of the "Talkin' Baseball" podcast, Rose predicted that the Red Sox would trade for Baltimore Orioles reliever Seranthony Dominguez, who is an impending free agent with a 3.29 ERA in 39 appearances this year.

"I would say outside of Aroldis Chapman, they don't have a ton of swing and miss at the back end of their bullpen," Rose said. "So let's get them some help there."

"I am going to go (with) Seranthony Dominguez. He's still got over 12 K's per nine (innings). He still can be a little bit hit-and-miss out there on the mound, but he does have playoff experience with Philadelphia. He's been great at times, he's been horrible at times."

Dominguez would continue a trend of the Red Sox acquiring hard throwers to add to their bullpen this year, as they've already picked up Chapman, Jordan Hicks, and Jorge Alcalá. He'd be a seventh- or eighth-inning option, and a reasonably cost-effective one at $8 million in salary this year.

Predicting that the Red Sox add a bullpen arm seems fairly safe at this stage. But it will be interesting to see if Dominguez becomes that arm, and if he does, how effective the streaky righty he can be in a new city.