MLB Mock Trade: Pittsburgh Pirates Deal Mitch Keller To Boston Red Sox

Could the Red Sox upgrade their rotation with a former All-Star? Boston needs a true No. 2 and Pittsburgh's Mitch Keller could be the perfect target at the trade deadline.

Jul 13, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the second inning at Target Field. | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

The Red Sox have had a solid season so far, jumping out to a 57-50 record and currently holding a 0.5-game lead over the Mariners and the Rangers for the second AL Wild Card spot. They have this position despite trading their former franchise cornerstone, Rafael Devers, on June 15th in a blockbuster deal with the Giants.

This trademarked the start of the youth movement in Boston, giving the likes of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Meyer an opportunity for regular at-bats with the big league club. It hasn’t fully turned out that way thus far, as Anthony is the only one currently in the Majors. Campbell was optioned to AAA on June 22nd and has yet to return, and Meyer went on the injured list on Friday, retroactive to July 24th. Regardless of the Red Sox's offensive revolving door, they are still 5th in the MLB in runs scored with 520. The biggest need that they currently have is starting pitching.

Outside of Boston's top three starters: Garrett Crochet, Bryan Bello, and Lucas Giolito, the rest of the rotation options have either been ineffective or have struggled to stay healthy. Tanner Houck has been on the injured list since May 13th, and Walker Buehler has struggled, pitching to a 5.72 ERA in 17 starts. Mitch Keller would provide much-needed stability for this rotation.

So what would it take for the Red Sox to acquire Mitch Keller from the Pittsburgh Pirates?

Boston Red Sox- Pittsburgh Pirates MLB Mock Trade

Boston Red Sox Receive:

RHP Mitch Keller

Pittsburgh Pirates Receive:

LHP Payton Tolle, Red Sox #3 prospect (93 overall)

1B/3B Blaze Jordan, Red Sox #17 prospect

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In this proposed deal, the Pirates receive an MLB top 100 prospect and a former third-round pick who is MLB-ready. Tolle across 2 levels of the minors (A+ and AA) has a combined 3.10 ERA and 110 strikeouts across 72.2 innings pitched. Scouts have raved about his big fastball that has reached a peak velocity of 99 mph this season.

Payton Tolle, pure filth 😮‍💨

5 IP | 2 H | 1 R | 1 BB | 4 K

MLB's No. 94 prospect (@RedSox) has a 1.96 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 23 innings for the Double-A @PortlandSeaDogs. pic.twitter.com/jy6fIypPjd

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 27, 2025

Jordan, in 41 AAA games this season, has a slash line of .285/.327/.462 with 5 home runs and 22 RBIs. He has split time between first base and third base this season, which could provide some much-needed versatility for the Pirates at the Major League level.

With Keller, the Red Sox receive a solid starting pitcher who's under team control until 2029. Keller signed a 5-year, $77 million deal in 2024. This season, he's pitched to a 4-10 record and 3.53 ERA with 97 strikeouts across 125 innings. He would immediately slot into the middle of the Red Sox rotation and have a major impact going forward.

Fantasy Baseball Impact:

Mitch Keller gets a fantasy boost in this trade, leaving a bottom-feeder Pirates team and joining a Red Sox team in the mix for a playoff spot. Keller would be in line for far more wins in Boston than Pittsburgh (just look at Paul Skenes' record), which will help fantasy baseball managers down the stretch of the season.