5 Potential Pitcher Trade Targets for the Boston Red Sox

If the Boston Red Sox are going to compete next season, they need to undergo a serious overhaul of their starting rotation this offseason.

In 2014, the Red Sox finished 26th in the league in starter’s ERA with a 4.36 mark, according to ESPN, and that’s including the positive contributions made by Jon Lester and John Lackey, both traded in July. After the deadline, quality starts were few and far between for the Sox, as they allowed many of their young starters to take some lumps in the major leagues.

Fortunately, the Red Sox face a fairly robust starting pitching market with Lester, James Shields and Max Scherzer at the top and some intriguing middle-of-the-rotation names too. But given their glut of outfielders and young pitchers, the Red Sox could also be looking to trade for a starter this winter, and they certainly need to add more than one starter before 2014 begins.

Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts are likely untouchable, but the Red Sox have no shortage of attractive pieces to deal nonetheless. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five targets who make a lot of sense for the Sox to pursuit this offseason.

One final note: A trade needs to make sense for both sides. There’s truly no reason for the Chicago White Sox to trade Chris Sale, and there’s no reason for the Seattle Mariners to trade Felix Hernandez. The players who follow are meant to represent realistic targets.

5. Kyle Lohse, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers

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The Red Sox are in need of a front-of-the-rotation starter, yes. But that doesn’t mean their moves must be limited to acquiring aces. The Sox need to fill out their rotation, too, and Boston matches up well with the Milwaukee Brewers when it comes to finding the room to make a deal.

While Yovani Gallardo is probably the trade target who comes to mind, Kyle Lohse could be a solid, relatively inexpensive addition to Boston’s rotation. The Brewers can rely on youngsters like Wily Peralta and Jimmy Nelson next season, and while it will take something of value to get Lohse, they shouldn’t be loathe to ship off the 36-year-old, especially if they recoup some cash.

The Brewers are likely to have some interest in Allen Craig, Daniel Nava or Mike Napoli, or they could turn their eyes to Will Middlebrooks or Garin Cecchini and shift Aramis Ramirez to first base. Obviously Cecchini is a bit too steep for Lohse alone, but Craig is an enticing piece who makes a lot of sense for both sides in such a deal.

Lohse has now posted back-to-back seasons in which he’s notched an ERA between 3.35-3.55 and has thrown nearly 400 innings in that span. He’s a bit homer prone, yes, but Miller Park is a hitter-friendly environment, and Lohse is great when it comes to limiting walks. Slotting him in to the No. 3 spot in the rotation next season would add stability to a rotation badly in need of quality innings.

4. Jon Niese, LHP, New York Mets

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Another potential trade target who fits better in the middle of a rotation, Jon Niese offers modest upside but has plenty of appeal as a fairly young, cost-controlled starter who shouldn’t require ceding an A-level prospect to obtain.

As Over The Monster’s Matt Collins broke down earlier in October, the Mets and Red Sox match up as natural trade partners, as the Mets are badly in need of offense and have a surplus of pitching. Players like Craig, Nava, Shane Victorino and Yoenis Cespedes could all be of interest to the Mets, and while it’s tough to find who should headline the Niese deal, the Sox have enough pieces to get something done.

Niese has missed some time over the past few seasons with shoulder troubles, which is always scary. But when he’s on the field, Niese performs as a slightly above-average pitcher with a good ground-ball rate and a low walk rate. His homers would tick up in Fenway, sure, but Niese is under control for just $16 million through 2016 and has two team-friendly options thereafter.

As Collins writes, Niese shouldn't be the best pitcher the Sox acquire this offseason, but he’d be a fine secondary addition.

3. Jeff Samardzija, RHP, Oakland Athletics

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According to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane will listen on deals for Jeff Samardzija this offseason, just a few months after giving up a blue-chip prospect to land him for Oakland’s playoff run.

Cafardo also notes that the Sox inquired on Samardzija when the Cubs were looking to deal. Given the recent trade history between the Red Sox and A’s, there could be some dialogue regarding Samardzija in the following months.

The 29-year-old Samardzija has blossomed into a very good starter over the past three years, and he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2014 when he threw 219.2 innings, notched a 2.99 ERA and posted the lowest walk rate of his career. He’s more of a decent No. 2 starter or a terrific No. 3 starter than a legitimate ace, but he’d be a boon to Boston’s staff nonetheless.

Samardzija is only under control for 2015, so the Red Sox would likely be hesitant to give up one of their best prospects for him. But the A’s could have interest in potential platoon pieces like Nava, Craig or Will Middlebrooks, and if the Sox bookend a player like that with one of their young pitchers and a player like Manny Margot, the A’s might at least start listening.

2. Mat Latos, RHP, Cincinnati Reds

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Back in September, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal described Mat Latos as the most likely of the Reds’ starters to be dealt this offseason. If you figure that Cincinnati will be looking for cost-controlled arms and MLB-ready prospects in return for their stud 26-year-old pitcher, the Red Sox start to line up pretty well for a potential deal.

Latos has dealt with some health issues in his career, but when he’s on the mound, he’s very effective. The right-hander never posted an ERA above 3.48 after his trade from the San Diego Padres to the Reds, and while his strikeout rate has declined in recent years, so too have the free passes he’s issued.

Though Latos has just one year left on his deal, he’d be expensive to acquire. The Sox probably won’t and shouldn’t move Betts for Latos, but expect names like Blake Swihart, Henry Owens and Margot to be bandied about if talks heat up. That may seem like a steep price, but Latos is sort of an ideal No. 2 starter who should cost a little less to lock up to an extension than the options in the free-agent market this offseason.

Johnny Cueto is another option for the Red Sox to pursuit, but given Latos’ age and Cueto's health, Latos may be their preferred target.

1. Cole Hamels, LHP

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It seems that since the moment Lester was traded, we’ve heard rumors linking the Red Sox to Cole Hamels. The Philadelphia Phillies’ lefty has served as one of the best pitchers in the game over the past decade, and he’s signed to a fairly attractive deal over the next four years. Hamels will be paid $96 million through 2018, and while that’s not a bargain, he comes with more security than signing a free-agent pitcher to a seven-year deal would yield.

The problem, of course, is that Boston would need to give up a significant amount of talent to acquire Hamels. One of Betts, Swihart and Owens would be needed to get a conversation starter, and it’s quite possible a package would need to involve two of those names.

Don't delude yourself into thinking a package around Will Middlebrooks, Jackie Bradley or Allen Webster will be enough. The Phillies aren’t facing tremendous pressure to deal Hamels, as a “failure” to deal him simply means they retain one of the game’s better arms.

That being said, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, the Phillies see Boston and the Chicago Cubs as two preferable landing spots should they deal Hamels this offseason. The fit is obvious and Hamels would give Boston a legitimate No. 1 starter, but giving up all the talent they’d need to make the deal fair would be a tough pill to swallow.