The Red Sox have reportedly kicked the tires on trading for Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller, as Boston looks to strengthen its starting rotation ahead of MLB’s trade deadline on Thursday.
The Red Sox reportedly reached out to Pittsburgh about the 29-year-old right hander, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Keller is only 4-10 over his 22 starts for the Pirates this season, but he touts a 3.69 ERA and 1.205 WHIP. He’s gone 3-0 in his last six games (with the Pirates 5-1 in those contests) with a 2.73 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 33 innings pitched.
Keller has spent his entire career with the Pirates, and has gone 40-60 record with a 4.45 ERA over his seven MLB seasons. He was an All-Star in 2023, when he finished the season 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA and 210 strikeouts over 194.1 innings of work.
Keller wouldn’t be a summer rental if acquired at the deadline, as he’s in the second year of a five-year, $77 million deal.
The Pirates have been dreadful this season, sitting at just 46-62 and in baseball’s basement with a league-low 367 runs scored. General manager Ben Cherington is expected to sell off some pieces ahead of Thursday’s 6 p.m. deadline, and a number of teams have reached out about Keller, according to Hiles.
The group includes the Yankees, Cubs, and Mets, in addition to the Red Sox. Hiles also noted Keller may not move until the offseason, “a notion one source claims could give the club better odds of landing an established big-league hitter in return.”
The Red Sox have an established big-league hitter to dangle in Jarren Duran, but are reportedly hanging onto him through the deadline. We’ll see if Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow can come up with a package that appeals to the Pirates, or if he’ll turn his attention elsewhere to improve the club at the deadline.
Red Sox needs at MLB trade deadline
The Red Sox currently hold the second American League Wild Card spot, but could use some help in the rotation, the bullpen, and a right-handed bat for the lineup. Breslow likely won’t be able to get everything on his wish list, but pitching should be his priortiy.
The Red Sox have a legit ace in Garrett Crochet, but could use some more depth after him. Brayan Bello and Lucas Gioltio have been good as of late, but Walker Buehler has had a frustrating season and Richard Fitts has struggled since returning from injury. Injuries to Tanner Houck, Hunter Dobbins, and Kutter Crawford have further tested Boston’s starting depth this season.
Boston is currently the second Wild Card team in the American League, sitting 0.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners and 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees.
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