MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: Red Sox Buy Starter, Reliever Or Slugger? Top Targets

Thanks to their season-high 10-game winning streak heading into the All-Star break, the Boston Red Sox are poised to be buyers ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

But what is chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s top priority? Does he want to find a fresh arm for manager Alex Cora or a power-hitting first baseman? It depends on who you ask.

“A potential Red Sox (trade deadline) sale looks dead thanks to their 10-game win streak. They could still trade an extra OF for pitching, however,” The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported Sunday.

That matches what The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Friday.

“What they need is a No. 2 starter and bullpen help … After saving $255 million in the (Rafael) Devers trade, they need not engage in buy-sell scenarios. They should be buyers, period,” Rosenthal said.

Masslive.com’s Sean McAdam is in complete agreement.

“They’ll mostly be focused on addressing present needs (first base, starting rotation, bullpen) that can be filled for multiple years. The one exception here might be first base,” McAdam wrote Friday.

“Triston Casas has a long recovery road ahead of him, but could still be the first baseman of the future as soon as Opening Day 2026. That would make Arizona’s Josh Naylor, who will be a free agent at the end of the year, a logical target if — and that’s a big ‘if’ – the Diamondbacks decide to sell. Other possibilities could include Baltimore’s Ryan O’Hearn and Cleveland’s Carlos Santana, each also in their walk year,” McAdam added.

However you can never have too much pitching heading down stretch. After losing Hunter Dobbins to a torn ACL, the Red Sox know they need to be in the arms race.

“When it comes to improving the rotation, the Red Sox would prefer someone with more control who could be a rotation fixture for several years to come,” McAdam wrote.

“Problem is, there’s not much available starting pitching with remaining control. Many of the names circulating now are strictly rentals: Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly with Arizona are two of the most obvious examples,” McAdam concluded.

But don’t look Arizona to burn the organization to the ground.

“If the Diamondbacks sell, they are unlikely to trade both Gallen and Kelly, according to sources briefed on their plans,” Rosenthal reported.

“If they subtract both Gallen and Kelly, they might not have enough young pitching to get through the season,” Rosenthal concluded.

Should Boston target late-inning arms, McAdam has a few suggestions.

“As for bullpen help, relievers are expected to flood the market. But finding what the Red Sox need — a trustworthy high-leverage reliever to handle the eighth inning — will not be easy,” McAdam wrote.

“It’s possible the Sox could acquire a closer like Ryan Helsley or Pittsburgh’s David Bednar and utilize him in the eighth,” McAdam added.

Based on all of these rumors, the next two weeks figure to be monumental for Breslow, Cora and the entire Red Sox organization.