Red Sox beat Yankees, Orioles for veteran starter

There are a lot of MLB teams looking to compete at the trade deadline and add pitchers. The Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees are just a few teams likely to add pitchers in the coming days.

There are options on the table for these teams, both big and small. Players like Garrett Crochet and Tarik Skubal are

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Last week, the Los Angeles Dodgers designated their veteran left-handed pitcher, James Paxton, for assignment.

According to FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray, the Red Sox were the first to strike in the starting pitching market this week, quickly acquiring Paxton from the Dodgers.

The final deal sees Paxton go to Boston in exchange for a 17-year-old infielder, Moises Bolivar.

Paxton, 35, is 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. He spent the 2023 season in Boston, where he posted a 4.50 ERA over 96 innings. The veteran left-handed pitcher has pitched 89 innings on the season and hasn’t reached the 100-inning mark since 2019, raising concerns about how he might finish the year.

Bolivar, 17, plays in the Dominican Summer League and currently has a slash of .270/.364/.423 in 31 games. He is considerably younger than most of his peers. The right-hander, born in 2007, has 10 extra base hits, 19 RBIs and a single stolen base in his short pro career. He is not ranked among the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.

The Red Sox’ evaluation of this deal will depend on what James Paxton they get. If he proves useful in their rotation, they’ll have done well with the deal. But if he struggles, the Dodgers will have done nothing more than steal a young, project infielder from them.

Originally, the Dodgers weren’t looking for much in the way of Paxton. The fact that they were able to add this young minor leaguer is a plus for them. With Bolivar still only 17 years old, the Dodgers have nothing but upside with this deal. If he fills out his frame well and transitions smoothly into the Dodgers’ minor league system, the Dodgers could have made an incredible purchase.