Red Sox Want Another Elite Reliever and There Are Plenty of Options

The 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline is quickly approaching and the Boston Red Sox have positioned themselves to be aggressive.

Boston currently has the No. 3 American League Wild Card spot, but has a shot at more. Boston is just 4 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees for the top Wild Card spot. Boston also is just seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the American League East. A few weeks ago, that number was in the double digits. The Red Sox are coming.

An aggressive deadline by Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow would only add to that fact. It has been known for a while that the Red Sox need a right-handed bat. That has been a topic that has been talked about since before the season even began. On Thursday, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand shared a column highlighting how division races are going to impact the deadline and on top of a right-handed bat, he reported that Boston has a high-leverage reliever on its wish list.

The Red Sox Are Looking To Add

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"The primary need remains a right-handed bat, preferably at catcher, either middle-infield spot or at designated hitter," Feinsand wrote. "Adding a high-leverage reliever is also on Boston’s wish list, while a starting pitcher could also be in the cards to protect its trio of young starters (Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and Jake Bennett)."

Boston already has the best bullpen in baseball. That's not an exaggeration by any means. Boston is leading baseball with a 3.02 bullpen ERA. Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock are leading the way for Boston with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.95 ERA. Jovani Morán has a 2.76 ERA and Tyron Guerrero has a 2.49 ERA. While he's not currently on the big league roster, Tyler Samaniego has a 2.66 ERA in 20 outings. Brayan Bello also has a ridiculous 0.77 ERA out of the bullpen in 35 innings pitched behind an opener.

Which Bullpen Arms Could Boston Target?

Jul 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Mason Miller (19) pitches during the ninth inning for the All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Between now and the Aug. 3 trade deadline, there will surely be a few high-leverage relievers out there for the taking. The biggest name to watch is Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres.

He is the best reliever in baseball right now. Miller has a 0.86 ERA in 40 outings this season with 25 saves. Miller also has three seasons of control left. Imagine a Boston bullpen with him, Chapman, Whitlock, Morán, Guerrero, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert and Bello as a bulk guy?

Boston's bullpen already is the best in the big leagues, but it would be significantly better in that scenario. Luke Weaver and AJ Minter of the New York Mets, Adrian Morejon of the Padres, Antonio Senzatela of the Colorado Rockies, Andrew Kittredge of the Baltimore Orioles, or even old friend Kenley Jansen of the Detroit Tigers are a few other big-name relievers who could be worth watching over the next few weeks.

If the Red Sox could come out of the deadline with one more big bat and a high-leverage reliever, we wouldn't be only talking about a contender for a Wild Card spot. Instead, we'd be talking about a legit World Series contender.

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