The Boston Red Sox made a stark improvement to their pitching rotation by acquiring Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, the Red Sox's roster is far from being completed.
There is still the free agency of Alex Bregman to worry about. After a year in Boston, the Red Sox must decided if they want to bring him back on a more expensive contract. Even if they opt to, they need at least one more big bat in their lineup.
But even after the Gray trade, Boston shouldn't stop adding to their pitching rotation. Gray is a strong starter, with 160+ innings pitched and 200+ strikeouts in his two seasons wit the Cardinals. Still, the Red Sox should shoot even higher when trying to find their No. 2 starter behind ace Garrett Crochet.
Prior to the trade deadline, Boston showed immense trade interest in Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan. As they continue configuring their pitching rotation, the Red Sox should give the Twins another call.
Red Sox must target Twins ace Joe Ryan
Over his five years with the Twins, Ryan has put up a 3.79 ERA and a 719/148 K/BB ratio. He is coming off of the best season of his career, earning his first All-Star nomination. The right-hander registered a career-best 3.42 ERA alongside a 194/39 K/BB ratio.
If Ryan were on the Red Sox, he would've ranked just behind Brayan Bello for third-best ERA among pitchers with 20+ starts. He beat out Bello by 70 strikeouts though, which would've put him behind just Crochet.
Acquiring Ryan would be beneficial for Boston in both the short and long-term. The righty isn't a free agent until after the 2027 season. Furthermore, he is still arbitration eligible meaning his contract will be modest. The Red Sox would still be able to add Bregman or whichever big bat they choose while massively bolstering their roster.
If Ryan continues his All-Star play up, the Red Sox would then have a dangerous one-two punch atop of their rotation. Bello would then be the third starter with Gray slotting in at fourth. For a team seemingly always in need of pitching, Boston would then have one of the scarier rotations in the league.
Maybe Gray is the only pitcher the Red Sox wanted to acquire. However, Boston knows they need much more to truly compete for a World Series title. Trading for Ryan would prove the Red Sox are serious about remaining in the playoffs. Furthermore, it would give Boston another elite pitcher in their rotation.
