Although their recent inconsistency doesn’t indicate it, the Boston Red Sox are approaching the trade deadline as a contending team. They hold the second wild card spot, a half-game out of the first wild-card slot, and three games back for the A.L. East division lead. However, to make a run at the division title, and give retiring slugger David Ortiz another chance at October glory, the Red Sox need to assess their needs and deficiencies, and acquire affordable but valuable help for their rotation.

It’s a tricky puzzle that needs to be assembled by Dave Dombrowski and his staff. And while the trade deadline is still 25 days away, here is a host of possibilities that the Red Sox could consider in regards to their starting pitching in order to make their team a contender.

Boston Red Sox need to be careful with 'untouchable' prospects

A large percentage of the Red Sox fan base have been appalled by the Red Sox starting pitching, and rightfully so. Their 217 million dollar ace David Price has been pitching like a #3 pitcher at best. Rick Porcello and All-Star knuckleballer Steven Wright has produced a decent top of the rotation. But beyond that, the Red Sox are in trouble. Embattled veteran Clay Buchholz continues to struggle on the mound, especially when starting. A 5.91 ERA and 3-9 record has led to two demotions to the bullpen, where he currently resides.

Joe Kelly has struggled and reportedly been switched to a bullpen role during his rehab from a groin injury. Last year’s rookie wonder Eduardo Rodriguez was terrible in coming back from an injury, racking up an 8.59 ERA before his demotion. The fourth man of their rotation right now is Sean O’Sullivan, whose appearances have ranged from mediocre. There is no fifth man in their rotation right now, but the Red Sox don’t need one for another two and a half weeks. This could give Rodriguez time to get back to his 2015 form and attempt to stabilize the back end of a crumbling rotation.

The overbearing outcry in the Boston area has been for Dombrowski to attain a reliable hurler to help this laboring rotation. Names like Atlanta’s Julio Teheran, Oakland’s Rich Hill or Sonny Gray, and multiple other names have been shouted out as potential saviors of the Red Sox staff. But acquiring such a piece, especially from a team that is building for the future. And when the Red Sox come knocking, sellers are going to be listening for a few select names. And unless Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi, or maybe Rafael Devers come up in the trade talks, getting a starting pitcher is going to be very, very difficult. For fans who have not seen the elite prospects blooming in the Red Sox system, it’s very easy to dismiss the notion of this being harmful to the team’s future.

But Moncada and Benintendi, both already in AA ball, have the potential to be stars in the MLB. Devers is progressing slower, but he too has the tools to become an elite player. Dombrowski had made it clear he won’t trade Benintendi or Moncada, but he has stayed tight lipped regarding Devers. Could he be potential trade bait? If he is, would he be enough? The Red Sox want to contend this year, and that is not a question, but they cannot sacrifice their future.

They’ve got a young core in Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr., but the Red Sox need to keep the farm system flowing with prospects to replace aging veterans. Even Betts, Bogaerts, and Bradley will likely not all stay on the Red Sox, if they continue to play the way they are by the time they reach free agency, they will be landing massive contracts. Moncada and Benintendi are both controllable for a long time, and the Sox would be foolish to give that up. Benintendi is likely to slide into left field to complete the outfield trio with Betts and Bradley. Moncada could find himself at third base, depending on if Travis Shaw, who has already seen a decrease in playing time with the trade for Aaron Hill. continues to produce, or moves across the diamond to first base. Devers might not have a clear future with the Red Sox and might be their top expendable prospect. Packaging him with a few mid-level prospects might be enough to land a mid-level starter.

Another potential prospect to trade could be shortstop Mauricio Dubon, whose path to Boston is blocked by his good friend, Bogaerts. With a pair of high-level prospects, plus a host of mid-level names, the Sox have to piece together a difficult puzzle as they attempt to land help for their underperforming staff. Here are some options that the Red Sox could go after.

STARTING PITCHING

Rich Hill

First, we’ll look at the obvious names. A few Sox fans were disappointed when the Sox let the journeyman Rich Hill walk away into free agency, after jumpstarting his career by pitching to a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings with Boston last year. Hill signed a one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics, where he has continued to impress. A 2.25 ERA this year, in thirteen starts, has proved that last year wasn’t a big fluke. With the Athletics out of contention, Hill has become their biggest trade chip, along with Josh Reddick.

The Red Sox, with their floundering rotation, have shown big interest in reacquiring the veteran Hill. The hope is that Hill, who is a free agent after this season, will come at a cheaper cost than a premier starter who is also controllable for years to come. Would packaging players like Devers and Dubon with a couple of lesser-known names be enough to acquire Hill.

There’s plenty of reason to want Hill, who would be an ideal #4 pitcher, or potentially even better if Wright continues to struggle. The Red Sox have had Hill on their roster on two separate occasions. For three years, he was a reliever for Boston, posting a 1.14 ERA over 40 games in that span. Overall, he is 4-1 with a 1.34 ERA in his career with the BoSox. In 2016, his WAR is 3.0. These kind of numbers are certainly mouth-watering for any team, particularly the pitching-needy Red Sox. He has pitched in only one postseason game in his career, but the concern for the Red Sox right now is making the postseason, and Hill might be the piece that can direct them to October baseball.

Could Rich Hill find himself back in a Sox uniform? Photo courtesy of cbssports.com

Jeremy Hellickson

Here’s another name that has come up frequently for the Red Sox to acquire. A former rival of the Red Sox as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, Hellickson has moved on to the National League, currently a member of the rebuilding Philadelphia Phillies. Hellickson, 29, is only under control for this year, but if the Red Sox acquire him and he impresses in his few months at Fenway, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think the Sox might sign him to a deal to keep him in Boston. However, the question is, do the Red Sox really want Hellickson? His numbers this year have been fairly solid. His ERA sits at 3.92, which would make seem like a solid #4 or #5 hurler for the Sox. His 1.2 WHIP is his lowest since his 2011 rookie campaign in which he won Rookie of the Year. He is an innings-eater, having gone at least six innings in ten of his past eleven starts. He also boasts a 1.6 WAR.

These all look great, but there are some other statistics that make the idea of picking up Hellickson less appealing. For example, in eight career appearances at Fenway Park, Hellickson has a 5.09 ERA. He also has  5.40 ERA in two career playoff starts, not making it past four innings in either appearance. And while he did have a 3.78 ERA with Tampa Bay, his ERA ballooned to over 5 in his final year in the American League. He has been decent, but not great, in the National League, leaving questions as to whether he will be good in returning to the hitter-friendly American League. Hellickson is a risky move for the Red Sox. They shouldn’t negate the idea immediately, but they should be wary of paying too big a price for a pitcher who may or may not be very good in a Red Sox uniform.

Hellickson would be a risky move for the Red Sox, but a move worth considering. Photo courtesy of phillyvoice.com

Ervin Santana

Santana might be a surprise name on this list, but the Red Sox should certainly consider the possibility of trading for the Minnesota Twins’ hurler. The drawback to getting Santana may be the price tag attached to his name. Santana is under team control for the next two seasons after the 2016 campaign, making a little over $13 million in each of those years. Santana might be more expensive so Dombrowski would have to particularly savvy to acquire him without giving either of his two ‘untouchable’ prospects.

The Red Sox have enough depth that they could put together an appealing package for the Twins that doesn’t include Moncada or Benintendi. Besides the aforementioned Devers and Dubon, the Red Sox could also offer up prospects like catcher Jake Romanski, outfielder Aneury Tavarez, or others. They could offer players closer to MLB-ready, like Henry Owens, a one-time top prospect in the Sox organization who has hit a roadblock in AAA, as he tries to rediscover his command. Flamethrowing reliever Pat Light could also be a decent trade chip.

There is also Boston’s prize pitching prospect in Anderson Espinoza, who Dombrowski has not labeled untouchable like he did Moncada and Benintendi. He could be a very attractive addition to a prospect package put together by Boston. If they can acquire Santana at a reasonable price, he should certainly be considered. He has been solid this year with a 4.06 ERA and boasts impressive numbers at Fenway Park.

Excluding his first career appearance at Fenway, over a decade ago, Santana has an impressive 3.02 ERA at Fenway. Even with that rough Fenway debut (4 innings, 6 runs), Santana has a 3.88 ERA at Fenway. Santana has been listed as one of the most likely member of the Twins to be traded and Fenway may be a good fit. The one hindrance to trading Santana might be his steroids history, which might scare away potential buyers, including the Red Sox.

Also, unlike Hellickson, Santana appears to still be pitching consistently. He has never had an ERA under 3, like Hellickson did in 2011, but he has remained consistent throughout his career. Three times in his career, his ERA ballooned to over 5, but all three times, Santana rebounded with impressive seasons that featured an ERA of under 4, including his All-Star appearance in 2008. Another quick number to consider:

Against the Blue Jays and the Orioles - the Red Sox’s main rivals in the division - Santana has held members of those two teams to a .230 batting average, very impressive considering the slugging nature of both of those squads. A trade for Santana would not only be beneficial for the Red Sox in 2016, but likely provide them with a consistent starter for the next two seasons.

Ervin Santana could be an expensive but valuable addition if the Sox choose to pursue him. Photo courtesy of mlb.com

Other Options

A large amount of Red Sox fans have expressed their desire to pick up young aces like Sonny Gray (Athletics), Julio Teheran (Braves), or Jose Fernandez (Marlins). The problem with all of those names is that they are young and controllable. For rebuilding teams like the Braves and the Athletics, why would they trade away their young aces who they have on staff for many years to come.

Fernandez is a key cog for the Marlins, who are in the thick of the Wild Card race in the National League right now, so he will likely not be moved. It is unreasonable to think that the Red Sox could acquire such a hurler without paying a massive cost that would likely include both of Boston’s untouchable prospects. The Red Sox would be better off looking for consistent starters that could fit into the back end of their rotation.

Inside Help?

Although the Red Sox did just trade away one of their top arms from Triple-A in Aaron Wilkerson, a move they might come to regret, the Red Sox do have options within their farm system.

Eduardo Rodriguez

The first name that immediately comes to mind in the the Red Sox farm system is Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez dazzled as a rookie in 2015, but he was injured before the 2016 season, starting the season on the disabled list. His return was a disaster, as he racked up an ERA of 8.59. He was sent down to Triple-A, where he continues to work on recovering from his knee injury and returning to his 2015 form. His last start was encouraging (seven innings, two hits, and no runs).

He could potentially return to Boston in August, depending on what the Red Sox do at the deadline. If he pitches like he did last year, he would be a very nice addition to the Red Sox rotation. If he pitches like he did in his return to Boston this year...don’t consider Rodriguez a viable candidate to plug into the rotation.

Henry Owens

Owens was once Boston’s top pitching prospect. His name has faded off the maps recently, given his struggles at the big league level. He’s made some promising starts, but a lack of control cost him a chance in the Red Sox rotation this year. He made three starts for Boston before a demotion to Pawtucket. His fastball is anything but overpowering, hovering around 87-88 mph, and maybe hitting 90mph on a good day.

To be effective with that velocity, you have to have good control. Owens has struggled with that, nullifying the effects of the lanky southpaw’s dazzling changeup, which has made premier hitters in the MLB look foolish. Owens has the stuff to be a decent starter in the back end of the Sox rotation, but he needs to start controlling his fastball to maximize the effectiveness of his changeup, plus his curve and slider. He’s a potential candidate for the Sox rotation, but he will not receive a call-up until he fixes his command issues.

Roenis Elias

Elias was acquired from the Seattle Mariners last year and made two appearances, one start, for the Red Sox this year. Despite dazzling at Triple-A, Elias has struggled in both of his MLB appearances this season. He was tagged for seven runs in his lone start, which came against his former squad. However, there is hope for improvement for Elias. Besides being terrorized by Franklin Gutierrez (6 RBI) in his lone start for the Sox this season, Elias wasn’t terrible, allowing a run-scoring hit to only one other player. If he can continue to impress at Triple-A, the Red Sox might have to think about giving him another shot at the rotation, considering the state of their staff right now.

William Cuevas

Cuevas has been a starter for Pawtucket, but he has only appeared out of the bullpen for Boston. In two call-ups, Cuevas has been fairly solid. He doesn’t have a putaway pitch, but he gets himself out of trouble and pitches to contact a lot. He showed immediately that he was a gutsy pitcher when his first MLB pitch this season was a changeup. He has confidence in his off-speed stuff, which complements his low-90s fastball. He has been used as an innings-eater for a fatigued Boston bullpen, but could he be used as a starter for this Red Sox rotation that finds themselves in shambles?

Having addressed a large number of possibilities for the Red Sox starting rotation, it’s time to sit back and wait to see what Dombrowski decides to do. 

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