Red Sox's Final Guide, Ideal Targets for 2024 MLB Trade Deadline
A year after finishing in the AL East cellar, the Boston Red Sox have exceeded expectations, and they will enter August in the thick of the AL wild-card picture.
Finding a reliable veteran starter to help stabilize a young rotation and flank budding ace Tanner Houck on the staff looks like a clear trade deadline priority if they decide to buy, while a left-handed reliever and some infield depth would also be on the shopping list.
This year's trade deadline is on Tuesday, July 30. Teams will have until 6 p.m. ET on the day to put the finishing touches to their roster for the stretch run.
Ahead we have taken a closer look at their buyer vs. seller decision while also highlighting a pair of ideal targets to address their roster needs.
Buyers or Sellers?
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Here's what Jeff Passan of ESPN had to say about the Red Sox deadline plans:
"There are dueling thoughts within the organization that run into direct conflict with one another. On one hand, the Red Sox have overachieved, so pushing some chips into the middle would reward a group that warrants such. On the other, they'll soon transition to a younger core, with Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel and Kristian Campbell all almost big league-ready, and in the AL East, it pays to have one eye as much on the future as the other is on the present. The Red Sox will be busy. They just might be the sort to nibble on the margins both ways."
Entering play on Wednesday, they had a 54-46 record and sat one game behind the Kansas City Royals for the third AL wild-card spot, and a three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers coming out of the All-Star break certainly muddied the waters.
We're going to explore the idea of them buying, but if they decide to sell, closer Kenley Jansen, starter Nick Pivetta and outfielder Tyler O'Neill are all obvious potential trade chips heading for free agency this winter.
Ideal Target: LHP Andrew Chafin, Detroit Tigers
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The Red Sox bullpen sits comfortably in the middle of the pack with a 3.79 ERA that ranks 13th in the majors, and finding another veteran arm or two to help bridge the gap to closer Kenley Jansen should be a top priority if they are buyers.
Left-hander Andrew Chafin is in his 11th big league season and in his second go-around with the Detroit Tigers after signing a one-year, $4.75 million deal during the offseason.
The 34-year-old has a 3.48 ERA and 11.8 K/9 with seven holds in 38 appearances, and he represents a low-cost rental option that could handle some high-leverage innings down the stretch.
Even if the Tigers don't aggressively sell, he is an obvious candidate to be moved.
Ideal Target: RHP Jameson Taillon, Chicago Cubs
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In their search for starting pitching help, it makes sense for the Red Sox to target pitchers who can also help them beyond the 2024 season since they currently reside on the fringe of the playoff picture.
They have reportedly talked to the Chicago Cubs about right-hander Jameson Taillon, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, and he fits the ball as a pitcher who can help now and in the future.
The 32-year-old is in the second season of a four-year, $68 million deal that will pay him $18 million in 2025 and 2026, but that is roughly in line with market value for a middle-of-the-rotation starter.
He has a 2.96 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 78 strikeouts in 100.1 innings over 17 starts, and his 3.77 FIP coupled with his strong track record when healthy makes it easy to buy his current level of production.
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