It’s August, and the Boston Red Sox need pitching. Unfortunately, the time may have passed for them to do something about it.
The story is all too familiar for Red Sox fans, who watched the team wither away down the stretch in both 2022 and 2023 after being above .500 at the trade deadline. With most of the starting pitchers throwing career-highs in innings and the bullpen melting down, history seems to be repeating.
Things aren’t looking great, as the Red Sox are set to enter a 10-game stretch against three current playoff teams on Thursday with a depleted pitching staff. Unless a magical solution presents itself, Boston will have to score a ton of runs to compete with their formidable opponents.
But one writer believes there is a slim chance that a magical solution could present itself via waiver wire.
FanSided’s Zachary Presnell named the Red Sox as one of the top destinations for San Francisco Giants star and two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, in the event Snell is placed on waivers as a cost-saving measure.
“Boston could really use another starter,” Presnell said. “If Snell becomes available, I see no reason why Boston wouldn’t want to pay his contract and acquire his services for the rest of the season. Boston needs to make a run this year.”
Snell, 31, has been the most dominant pitcher in baseball since the All-Star break. In his last seven starts, he owns a 0.99 ERA, .097 opponents batting average, and 60 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. Oh, and he happened to throw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds.
From a talent perspective, Snell makes all the sense in the world for the Red Sox. But paying the contract might be more of an issue than Presnell suggests.
Red Sox ownership has seemingly been reluctant to allow the front office to raise the payroll the past two seasons, and their current tax payroll sits at roughly $223.9 million, per Spotrac. The Red Sox would be on the hook for roughly $6 million in additional payroll if Snell suddenly joined the roster.
It may be unlikely. It may even be a non-starter if the front office sat down and discussed the possibility upon Snell’s hypothetical release. But if the Red Sox actually got Snell… oh man.
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