The shared shortcomings of the American League East’s top teams will add intrigue to the upcoming trade deadline.
For all of their offensive firepower, the Boston Red Sox need all the pitching help they can get, which will complicate the next six weeks for the rest of the division. The Baltimore Orioles need starting pitching as badly as anyone, and seem poised to bid against Boston. The Toronto Blue Jays should also be in the market for pitching despite a rotation that’s exceeded expectations so far.
Between now and Aug. 1, the search for pitching will shape the race for the AL East…
Boston Red Sox
It’d be hard to find a team with a more glaring need for starting pitching. The Red Sox essentially have four starters right now: David Price, Steven Wright, Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez. While Price has pitched better of late and Wright has been a revelation, Boston’s not getting enough production from their rotation.
| Team | Rotation ERA | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Jays | 3.72 | 7 |
| Rays | 4.23 | 13 |
| Red Sox | 4.50 | 18 |
| Yankees | 4.52 | 19 |
| Orioles | 4.89 | T-26 |
The Red Sox have prospects and financial flexibility, the ideal combination for a summer buyer. Unlike last year, they’ve got a good enough team to justify giving up those resources for a shot at another title. Throw in Dave Dombrowski’s history of deal-making and it’ll be a surprise if the Red Sox don’t add a starting pitcher this summer.
Then there’s the bullpen, now weaker than expected because of Carson Smith’s Tommy John surgery and Koji Uehara’s up-and-down season. Expect Dombrowski to check in on the top relievers available, too.
Baltimore Orioles
You could make the case that the Orioles need starting pitching just as badly as the Red Sox. Ubaldo Jimenez lost his rotation spot after posting an ERA of 6.89, and even Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson have ERAs above 4.70.
While the Orioles lack Boston’s financial freedom or prospect depth, they should be just as motivated to add to their rotation. The key will be balancing the need for reinforcements with their cost. Three summers ago the Orioles traded Jake Arrieta to the Chicago Cubs for Steve Clevenger and Scott Feldman and the following summer they sent Eduardo Rodriguez to Boston for Andrew Miller. Baltimore knows from experience that trading away high-upside arms for short-term reinforcements weakens future teams.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are the one AL East team that could sidestep the summer pitching market. While they could tinker with their bullpen, they have enough starting pitching to get by. Plus, it’s just not their style to add veteran arms at the deadline.
If anything, the Rays might want to add a player with on base skills to take advantage of their newly powerful lineup (the Rays rank 23rd in runs scored despite having more homers than all but two teams).
New York Yankees
Four consecutive losses have slowed the Yankees’ momentum and renewed speculation that the Bronx Bombers could actually sell this summer. It’s hard to imagine considering the Yankees’ win-now mandate, but they’ll have to consider moving veterans unless their record improves by the end of July.
If there’s a silver lining for the Yankees it’s that Andrew Miller could become the top reliever available at a time that the Chicago Cubs top the list of teams in need of left-handed bullpen help. Set to earn $9 million per season through 2018, Miller can even be considered a contractual bargain.
Back in 2014 the Red Sox got a top prospect for two months of Miller. Now he’s pitching even better (1.30 ERA, 51 strikeouts, 3 walks) and is no longer a rental, so the Yankees could reasonably ask for even more.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays will move Aaron Sanchez and his 3.38 ERA to the bullpen later this summer, at which point they plan to replace him with Drew Hutchison, who’s pitching well at triple-A with a 3.12 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 25 walks.
Still, it’s worth remembering that the Blue Jays would lose leverage in trade talks if they expressed anything less than full confidence in Hutchison. If he’s in the rotation, they’re an injury away from calling on Wade LeBlanc to start in a pennant race — a possibility that would not appeal to most MLB GMs. Replacing Sanchez on the trade market can’t be ruled out.
With Brett Cecil’s lat tear progressing and Sanchez headed to the bullpen, Toronto’s relief pitching could improve meaningfully later this summer. Even so, it makes sense to keep tabs on the relief market in the weeks ahead.
The Blue Jays can’t count on a repeat of last year, though. After trading Jeff Hoffman, Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd in 2015, their farm system is thin at the upper levels, and the top prospects they do have look like important long-term pieces. For example, trading Dalton Pompey for a starter would seem counter-productive at a time that outfielders Jose Bautista and Michael Saunders are on the brink of free agency.
Realistically, the Red Sox seem better-positioned to trade impact talent, so the Blue Jays may have to get creative.
