5 relievers for Red Sox fans to know ahead of MLB trade deadline
Plenty of relievers get traded ahead of the deadline every year, but there's always a handful who are better the rest of the bunch.
The Red Sox might have the best closer in baseball this season, but every team could use a little extra bullpen help.
In fact, the Red Sox had the second-most blown saves in baseball this season (20) entering Sunday. While their bullpen ERA (3.33) was the fourth-best mark, their relievers had thrown a combined 386 innings entering Sunday. That ranked 11th in the majors and third among American League teams that are in the playoff hunt.
The Red Sox could stand to add some more talented arms around Aroldis Chapman, especially if the injury that knocked him out of Sunday’s game forces him to miss a great period of time.
Countless relievers typically get moved in the days leading up to the deadline, a handful of relievers will likely be better than the rest of the bunch that get traded. So, let’s take a look at the high-end bullpen options for the Red Sox ahead of the trade deadline.
Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Cleveland Guardians
Clase might be the top bullpen arm that gets moved ahead of the deadline. From a pedigree standpoint, he’s certainly the top reliever who’s rumored to be on the market. The three-time All-Star finished third in AL Cy Young voting in 2024, posting a year that was so strong that he finished 11th in AL MVP voting as well.
However, Clase’s numbers have taken a bit of a dip this season. His 1.225 WHIP is a career low, while he’s blown five saves in 29 opportunities.
Still, Clase is among the game’s best at the position, posting a 0.61 ERA, 66 strikeouts, and a 0.659 WHIP in 74 1/3 innings pitched over 74 appearances last season. He also led the American League in saves for a third straight year (47). His cutter was also one of the elite pitches in baseball, with opposing hitters recording a .150 batting average against the pitch.
With Chapman set to enter free agency at the end of the season, adding Clase could also serve as a long-term add for the Red Sox. The 27-year-old is under contract through the end of the 2028 season and is owed just $26 million over the next three years.
The Athletic‘s Jen McCaffrey and Jim Bowden recently proposed a trade in which the Red Sox would give up Jarren Duran for Clase and starting pitcher Shane Bieber, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. While Bowden said he’d like to see the Red Sox keep Duran, he does think that such a deal would make sense for both teams.
Jhoan Durán, RHP, and Griffn Jax, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Beyond Clase, another AL Central team possesses two of the top relievers who might be available on the trade market ahead of the deadline.
Durán, 27, might be the closest version to a right-handed version of Chapman. His fastball has traveled faster than the Red Sox’ closer’s this year, averaging 100.3 mph. Durán’s split-finger is his most common pitch, though, which travels at 97.6 mph. That’s helped him post a 1.90 ERA, 1.120 WHIP, and 52 strikeouts over 47 1/3 innings pitched this year, logging 16 saves over 47 appearances.
Jax, meanwhile, has been better than his numbers suggest. The 30-year-old had a 4.00 ERA entering Sunday, but his FIP was at 2.07. Serving as Minnesota’s setup man, Jax has struck out 14 hitters per nine innings pitched this year to go with a 1.244 WHIP over 48 appearances. He mostly uses offspeed pitches (sweeper and changeup) to retire hitters.
Both pitchers are under team control through the 2027 season, so they could serve as long-term options for the Red Sox as well. Of course, that would also mean they would likely have to spend more in trade capital.
David Bednar, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
One of the lone bright spots for the Pirates this season, Bednar is the only full-time closer who’s yet to blow a save this season. He’s recorded a save in all 16 of his opportunities, posting a 2.19 ERA, 51 strikeouts, and a 1.054 WHIP in 37 innings pitched over 41 appearances.
Bednar largely relies on his fastball and curveball for success. Even though Bednar’s fastball (97.1 average mph) might not travel as fast as other top closers, it’s helped log a 34.5 percent strikeout rate in 2025. That’s in the 96th percentile of all pitchers.
Bednar, 30, is under team control for the 2026 season.
Ryan Helsley, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
The Red Sox have been linked to Helsley for quite a bit, with his name emerging as a potential piece of a possible trade package that would’ve also sent Nolan Arenado to Boston over the offseason.
Of course, that deal didn’t come to fruition. But Helsley has still been dealing in St. Louis. The 31-year-old and two-time All-Star has a 3.00 ERA to go with 41 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched over 36 outings this season. He does have a 1.389 WHIP, which is a bit high.
But like Clase, Helsley’s past success is too strong to overlook. He led all of baseball in saves last season with 49, logging a sub-3.00 ERA for the third straight year (2.04). He almost exclusively throws fastballs and sliders, with his four-seamer traveling at an average speed of 99.3 mph this season.
Helsley is set to become a free agent at season’s end, so he could be a rental for whoever acquires him.
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