Passan, Rosenthal both believe Red Sox could be ‘legitimate’ World Series contenders this fall
"They are a team that, frankly, might be in the World Series if they make the right moves here."
The Red Sox are red-hot entering the All-Star break.
After completing a four-game sweep of the Rays on Sunday, the Red Sox are now in the midst of a 10-game win streak — which marks the franchise’s longest since winning 10 straight from July 2-12, 2018.
Boston now sits at a season-best eight games over .500 at 53-45, and are just three games back of the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. FanGraphs now has Boston with a 55.8 percent shot at making the postseason for the first time since 2021.
Once viewed as potential sellers ahead of the July 31 trade deadline due to their inconsistent play, the Red Sox may now shift gears and become one of the more aggressive teams before said deadline, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Speaking on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, Passan stressed that the Red Sox aren’t going to be moving potential high-value trade chips in veterans Aroldis Chapman or Alex Bregman.
Rather, Passan believes the Red Sox will be the market to add a No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet — giving Boston a devastating 1-2 punch on the mound ahead of a promising playoff push.
“Aroldis Chapman’s going nowhere, Alex Bregman’s going nowhere,” Passan said. “They’re going to add, and if they get another starting pitcher who can be at the top of that rotation with Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello pitching so well, Lucas Giolito — the Boston Red Sox are legitimate World Series contenders.”
Such a scenario would be a welcome departure for Red Sox fans who were potentially bracing for Boston to orchestrate another sell-off amid a disappointing season.
Bregman earned an All-Star nod with Boston this season despite missing six weeks with a quad strain, with the veteran third baseman batting .298 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI over 53 games this season.
Chapman has been arguably the best reliever in baseball in his first season with Boston. The 37-year-old southpaw is sporting a 1.18 ERA through 41 appearances with the Red Sox — posting 17 saves and striking out 58 batters over 38 innings of work.
With Lucas Giolito (0.70 ERA in his last six starts) and Brayan Bello (2.61 ERA in his last eight starts) both settling into a groove behind Boston’s ace in Crochet (10-4, 2.23 ERA), the Red Sox already boast an effective starting rotation.
But if Boston can pull off a trade for a proven No. 2 starter like Minnesota’s Joe Ryan, it would create a positive domino effect that would push both Giolito and Bello further down on the depth chart.
Boston’s odds of emerging out of a weaker American League this season would receive a lift if Craig Breslow is able to snag a starter like Ryan.
But fellow MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic believes that Boston might already be legitimate contenders this postseason even if the team doesn’t add another proven arm before July 31.
“A couple of weeks ago I would have said they needed a number two [pitcher], right behind Crochet,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory Monday. “Now, I don’t know that’s the case. … But in recent weeks, Lucas Giolito has come on and Brayan Bello has come on. So right now, I don’t know that they need the number two that’s going to be so hard to get anyway.”
“They could just use a starting pitcher who would help them, as well as a first baseman and of course the requisite bullpen help. The Red Sox are in great shape. … “They are a team that, frankly, might be in the World Series if they make the right moves here.”
As Breslow and his staff mull their options, the Red Sox will resume play on July 18 with a three-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
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