The 2025 trade deadline is just a few weeks away. Despite trading Rafael Devers, the Boston Red Sox have indicated they will be buyers at the trade deadline. Now, it also appears they could trade by both buying and selling. For example, they might move on from Walker Buehler after his rough stretch. They could also go out to acquire another starting pitcher. There was also a chance to watch Alex Bregman at the trade deadline, or he could be extended. Now that it’s July, the rumors are going to fly, and Boston is being linked to three different starting pitchers. Right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers, right-handed pitcher Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and, as always, right-handed pitcher Sandy Alcantara from the Miami Marlins.
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Freddy Peralta
Peralta has a club option worth eight million for 2026 and would be a free agent in 2027. This season in 18 starts, Peralta is 9-4 with a 2.91 ERA, a 3.84 FIP, a 1.09 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts in 99 innings. He faced the Red Sox on May 28th, going five innings, giving up three runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out six. The Brewers won that game 6-5 in ten innings. In 196 career appearances with 147 of those coming as starts, going 62-40. Peralta posts a 3.69 ERA, a 3.69 FIP, a 1.39 WHIP, and 1053 strikeouts in 853.1 innings. He was an All-Star in 2021.
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Merrill Kelly
Kelly is a free agent after this season and will be 37 in 2026. In 16 starts, he is 7-4 with a 3.55 ERA, a 3.47 FIP, a 1.09 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts in 104 innings. Kelly has made 158 career starts, going 60-48 with a 3.79 ERA, a 3.98 FIP, a 1.20 WHIP, and 847 strikeouts in 928.1 innings. In the Diamondbacks National League Pennant run, he made four starts in the playoffs, going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA, a 4.09 FIP, a 0.83 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 24 innings.
Sandy Alcantara
Alcantara is under contract until 2026 and has a club option for 2027, so the Red Sox could get 2.5 seasons out of the former Cy Young winner. He is 4-8 this season with a 6.98 ERA, a 4.69 FIP, a 1.48 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts in 80 innings. He had a rough start in his last outing, but before that, he had looked like he had returned to form. In those four starts before June 28th, he was 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts in 23 innings.
Gallen in 163 career games with 154 of those coming as starts, he is 45-63 with a 3.62 ERA, a 3.84 FIP, a 1.18 WHIP, and 852 strikeouts in 980.2 innings. In 2022, when he won the Cy Young, he made 32 starts, going 14-9 with a 2.28 ERA, a 2.99 FIP, a 0.98 WHIP, and 207 strikeouts in 228.2 innings.
Wrap Up
Any of the three options would be a great addition for the Red Sox, and with some of their top prospects blocked from making the big leagues, a trade package centered around either Franklin Arias or Jhostynxon Garcia could be enough to start the conversation.
