The Boston Red Sox’s main focus in the 2023 offseason heading into the 2024 season is Starting pitching, which new Chief of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow said is a must-fix. The funds won’t be a problem, but they may be unable to sign the pitchers they went to as they are competing against a dozen other teams that need pitching. Last season, the Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins made a trade, with the Twins acquiring Pablo Lopez and the Marlins acquiring Luis Arraez, with Minnesota needing pitching and Miami needing a bat. The Red Sox could explore that same idea with the Seattle Mariners, who could use a bat and look to trade pitching for it, while the Red Sox need pitching and could move an outfielder for it as they currently have a log jam in the outfield. The Red Sox should look into acquiring Logan Gilbert or George Kirby if Seattle decides to go after a bat. It may hurt, but offering Jaren Duran or one of the other young outfield pieces could work for both sides.
Pitchers By The Numbers
Logan Gilbert
Gilbert will turn 27 during the 2024 season, and the Mariners drafted him with the 14th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. He has spent three seasons in the big leagues, making 88 starts, going 32-18 with a 3.76 ERA, a 3.67 FIP, a 1.13 WHIP, a 1.2 HR/9, a 2.1 BB/9, an 8.9 K/9 and has a career 7.1 WAR. In 2023, he made 32 starts, going 13-7 with a 3.73 ERA, a 3.85 FIP, a 1.07 WHIP, a 1.4 HR/9, a 1.7 BB/9, an 8.9 K/9, and finished as a 3.1 WAR. Against the American League East in his career, Gilbert has made 13 starts, going 3-5 with a 5.86 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and a 9.0 K/9.
George Kirby
Kirby will turn 26 in February and was drafted by the Mariners with the 20th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He has spent two seasons in the majors, making 56 starts, going 21-15 with a 3.37 ERA, a 3.20 FIP, a 1.10 WHIP, a 1.0 HR/9, a 1.2 BB/9, an 8.6 K/9, and his career 5.3 WAR. In 2023, he made 31 starts, going 13-10 with a 3.35 ERA, a 3.35 FIP, a 1.03 WHIP, a 1.0 HR/9, a 0.9 BB/9, an 8.1 K/9, and a 3.9 WAR. Kirby, in his career against the American League East, has appeared in 11 games, with ten of those being starts going 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and a 7.9 K/9. Kirby also, in his last start, honored the late Tim Wakefield by throwing a knuckleball.
Wrap Up:
Multiple sources have speculated the idea of the Red Sox acquiring one of the two, and I, for one, think it would be a great trade for them and address their starting pitching; I’d prefer Kirby, but either one would provide an upgrade to a team that desperately needs help in the rotation.
