After the signings of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, the Boston Red Sox had too many bats and too little pitching, and everyone knew that more moves were coming. Many believed that Boston would get some substantial pitching help by convincing Jon Lester to come back, but those hopes evaporated when he opted to join the Chicago Cubs.
Boston wasted little time in moving on to other pitching options, completing a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for starter Wade Miley. According to media reports, the Red Sox have now traded outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for starting pitcher Rick Porcello.
Porcello went 15-13 this season with a 3.43 ERA in just over 204 innings pitched. Miley went 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 201 innings for Arizona. Porcello and Miley are just 25 and 28, respectively, although neither offers long-term team control. Porcello is set to become a free agent after the 2015 season, and Miley becomes a free agent after 2017. Miley is also eligible for arbitration after next season.
Are Dodgers Better After Flurry Of Trades?
The Red Sox did not give up a great deal to get the two pitchers. The only big name they dealt was Cespedes, who many believed was always going to be moved from the moment the Red Sox got him in the Jon Lester trade. For Miley, Boston dealt away Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster, neither of whom were believed to be key pieces by the organization.
Porcello and Miley do not profile as front-line starters, which indicates that Boston still has more moves in store. They have reportedly made an offer to free agent Justin Masterson, although many believe that the real prize in Boston's eyes is Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels.
The Phillies are reportedly willing to deal Hamels for the right price, which is believed to be exorbitant. However, The Red Sox have a tremendous amount of young outfield talent, and they may be able to piece together a deal for the left-hander. Landing Hamels would give Boston the staff ace that they would need to return to contention in 2015.
The Red Sox may be willing to give up some prize prospects, including Mookie Betts or Xander Bogaerts for Hamels. However, if the price tag proves too high, Boston may instead set their sights on James Shields or Max Scherzer, both of whom are free agents.
Below, you can see Boston GM Ben Cherington discussing Jon Lester.
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