Red Sox Stood out As Prime Landing Option For Hurler With Ace Potential In Possible Trade

Boston needs to add to the starting rotation and one young ace could be an option

The Boston Red Sox have some serious holes in the starting rotation right now.

Boston entered the offseason already needing to add multiple starters and now needs to do even more. The Red Sox added one-time All-Star Lucas Giolito recently but also traded away seven-time All-Star Chris Sale in a blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

The Red Sox have plenty of work to do now. Boston has been linked to multiple top free agents — like Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell — and also some of the top trade candidates. At this point, it seems likely that Boston will look to improve the club through trades rather than large spending.

One player who has popped up in trade rumors on multiple occasions this offseason is Miami Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo. The 26-year-old has shown glimpses that he could be a true ace, but still may be traded this offseason. If he is dealt, Boston has been floated as the top landing spot for him, according to Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller.

“They already missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Aaron Nola, Eduardo Rodríguez, and Sonny Gray, but they could still land Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery,” Miller said. “If they’re able to get either of those lefties, they’re probably not going to also unload a top prospect (and more) to bring in Jesús Luzardo. But given the state of their rotation and the desire to get out of the (American League) East basement, this is probably the team most desperate to trade for Luzardo.

“Marcelo Mayer is a huge ask in this trade. He was Boston’s No. 4 overall pick in 2021, though he hasn’t had the meteoric rise through the minors that the Red Sox were hoping to see. In fact, he had just a .609 OPS at Double-A Portland last season and might still be at least two years away from the big leagues.”

Lucardo has been linked to Boston before and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the rumors pick back up now that the Red Sox have traded Sale. He logged a 3.58 ERA last season in 32 starts and a 3.32 ERA in 2022 in 18 starts. It’s unclear what Boston’s plan is, but Luzardo could be an interesting option.