5 Starting Pitchers the Red Sox Should Target to Save Their Season

It's no secret that the Boston Red Sox need to add another pitcher or two before the MLB trade deadline. With right-handed starter Nathan Eovaldi likely heading to the bullpen once he's healthy, general manager Dave Dombrowski could be eyeing a starter instead of a reliever.

And according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Red Sox are "pushing to add a starting pitcher" at the deadline.

Their lack of payroll flexibility and resources at the minor league level could take them out of some of the top guys, but you can never count the Red Sox out.

Here are five starting pitchers the Red Sox should target to save their season.

1. RHP Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles

It's hard to make a trade with a team in your division, but the Baltimore Orioles shouldn't be too difficult to make a deal with at this stage of their rebuild. Veteran Andrew Cashner shockingly has 9 wins to go along with a 3.83 ERA this year. Obviously we've all seen his floor -- he posted a 5.29 ERA in 2018 -- but he's made positive strides this year and could be a potential option for Boston.

2. RHP Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays

Marcus Stroman is another starter from the AL East the Red Sox should take a look at. He's familiar pitching in each of these hitter-friendly ballparks, and Stroman has thrived in big games (remember the WBC?). Oddly enough, however, Stroman and Sox skipper Alex Cora had some beef earlier this season, so it'd be interesting to see if they could co-exist.

3. LHP Matthew Boyd, Detroit Tigers

It would take a lot to get him, but Detroit's Matthew Boyd might be the best starter on the market. Boyd has a career-best 3.87 ERA and 11.9 K/9. He's at the top of his game right now and could transform this Red Sox rotation. You wonder if they'd want their three-best starters to all be left-handed, but that's something you shouldn't worry about if you can get the strikeout upside that comes with Boyd.

4. RHP Zack Wheeler, New York Mets

Many teams will be interested in adding Wheeler at the deadline, and rightfully so. Wheeler has big stuff and can pitch to a No. 1 as he showed in the second half of last season. It hasn't been as smooth of sailing for him this year, as he's been inconsistent, but Wheeler has all the tools to succeed and turn his campaign around. He's a free agent at season's end, so it shouldn't take a huge haul to get a deal done.

5. LHP Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants

Madison Bumgarner has an ERA slightly above 4.00, but his strikeouts are up and you know what he can do in October, which is why any team would go after him. The Giants aren't going to give him up for anything, but he might be worth the price tag if it means another chance at a World Series. MadBum will hit free agency after this season, so it'd be a rental for the Red Sox if they go after the southpaw.