MLB Trade Rumors: Rich Harden and 5 Other Arms the Boston Red Sox Have Targeted

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The non-waiver trade deadline is just one week away and all appears quiet on the trade front in Boston. The Red Sox have no imminent deals in place and at this time, according to Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald. 

You can rest assured that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is still doing his due diligence on available players however.

Boston may not be ready to pull the trigger right now, but the team is certainly looking over its many options with a concerted effort being placed in scouting available arms for the bullpen and rotation.

The Red Sox have been involved with preliminary talks with many teams and here's a look at the pitchers Boston has been scouting and discussing.

Rich Harden: Starter

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The rejuvenated, and now healthy, Rich Harden has garnered some interest in Beantown.

Peter Gammons reported via Twitter that the Sox have expressed interest in the Oakland A's righty. Harden, who has spent the majority of the 2011 season on the disabled list, has looked good in his four starts since his activation.

He had a rough going in his second outing in which the Rangers pummeled him to the tune of eight hits and fives runs through just five innings. 

Minus that start, Harden has allowed only 13 hits and seven runs in 18.1 innings. He's posted an impressive strikeout to walk ratio (21:6) in those three starts as well as he appears to be returning to form. 

Harden has just $600,000 remaining on his 2011 salary and would represent an unquestioned upgrade in the Red Sox rotation if the team decided to go in that direction.

Tyler Clippard: Reliever

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Yes, that's Tyler Clippard's throwing motion, and yes it looks a little funny. Clippard is actually a pretty goofy dude, to go along with his odd delivery he sports some pretty spiffy goggles and has used the song "Peaches" by the Presidents of the United States as his intro music with the Nationals.

Clippard's personality already sounds like it could mesh quite well in the musically-inclined Red Sox bullpen.

Moreover, his arm could be a real asset on the mound. Washington's setup man has 73 strikeouts in just 57.1 innings and sports a 1.73 ERA and a ridiculous 0.84 WHIP.

Boston is said to have at least some level of interest in Clippard and it's pretty easy to see why.

Edwin Jackson: Starter

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Edwin Jackson is experiencing an up-and-down 2011 season. He threw a complete game shutout just one start ago against the Tigers and the Chicago Tribune reported that the Red Sox had a scout in attendance for the gem.

As I mentioned, it hasn't been all positive this year for Jackson however. In eight of his 19 starts he's let up four or more runs.

Jackson has been with four different teams in five seasons and seven different teams in his 10 years in the league. Teams tend not to have much patience with him, but there's always another club willing to give him a go.

He's an unlikely trade target for the Sox, but someone they're keeping an eye on nonetheless.

Craig Breslow: Reliever

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According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Athletics reliever Craig Breslow is drawing interest from both the Yankees and Red Sox.

Perhaps an opportunity to snub one another by driving up the price? Quite possible, but Breslow does offer legitimate value as a very solid bullpen arm.

Breslow is a well-known commodity in Boston; he played for the Red Sox in 2006 in limited action. He's been very efficient for Oakland for the past three seasons, keeping his ERA at or under 3.28 while posting an impressive strikeout rate.

Hiroki Kuroda: Starter

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How does a pitcher with a 6-12 record sound Boston? Not too good unless you understand the circumstances in which the record was produced.

Hiroki Kuroda has been victimized by his own team out in Los Angeles. He's the owner of a 3.19 ERA and 97 strikeouts through 127 innings. Kuroda has given up more than three runs only five times this season and his record says nothing about his value.

According to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, the Sox are "keeping tabs on Kuroda," but cautions that it's "nothing serious now."

Ubaldo Jimenez: Starter

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We can't have trade deadline talk without at least entertaining some inane deal that won't happen. The Red Sox would be silly not to at least ask how much it would take to pry Ubaldo Jimenez out of Colorado, but the Rockies would be crazy to move the guy.

And apparently the Rockies are a bit crazy because they're asking for "Herschel Walker-type" compensation in any trade for their ace (the NFL's largest trade moved 18 players and even included draft picks).

I don't think it's going out on a limb here to suggest the low chances of this deal ever coming to fruition. The Sox are considered "in the mix" with other clubs ranked above them anyways.