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Boston Red Sox Reportedly Scouting 2 Top SP Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline
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- Boston Red Sox Reportedly Scouting 2 Top SP Ahead of MLB Trade Deadline
Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Boston Red Sox are coming off one of the longest winning streaks in MLB this season , likely pushing them back into buyer status at the MLB trade deadline. Coming out of the All-Star Break, Boston's front office sent scouts to watch two of its top targets.
On Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Red Sox have sent scouts to watch Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitchers Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen in their upcoming starts in Phoenix.
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Merrill Kelly stats ( ESPN ): 3.34 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 113-33 K-BB ratio in 116 innings pitched
Kelly, a 36-year-old righty, is scheduled to take the mound on Sunday afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals . Heading into MLB games today , the 6-foot-2 hurler has held opponents to a .207/.266/.364 slash line and a .629 OPS over 463 batters faced. Recently, he has been even more effective, compiling a 2.68 ERA with a 49-15 K-BB ratio over his last eight starts (47 innings).
Gallen, an All-MLB First Team selection in 2023, has struggled this season. In a contract year, the 6-foot-2 righty has allowed a .781 OPS to opponents along with a .254/.325/.456 slash line. Gallen's K-BB rate (16.4 percent to 13.1 percent) has dropped sharply from last season and falls short of his previous two seasons (20.3 percent).
Read More: Best Mitch Keller trade destinations, including the Red Sox
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Zac Gallen stats ( ESPN ):5.40 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 110-45 K-BB ratio in 115 innings
Poised to start on Monday against the Houston Astros , Gallen at least has a chance to prove he's turning things around. Two of his best starts this season came in July, as he allowed one earned run with 19 strikeouts in 13 innings, but he is coming off a six-run outing on July 12.
Boston is scouring the market for starting pitching ahead of the MLB trade deadline on July 31. Entering play on Sunday, the team ranked 17th in rotation ERA ( 4.06 ) and held a 0.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the final wild card spot in the American League.
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