The Boston Red Sox just finished the first half of the 2025 season riding a 10-game winning streak that has everyone talking. With Alex Bregman back in the lineup and the team playing their best baseball in years, one MLB insider believes they’re just one piece away from being real contenders.
Why Does Jeff Passan Think the Red Sox Need Just 1 More Starter?
ESPN’s Jeff Passan mentioned the likes of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, and Lucas Giolito as he made a strong claim about the Red Sox’s future. Crochet has emerged as the clear ace of the team, as he’s the lone pitcher to surpass 100 innings this season. With 10 wins under his belt, he’s among the top pitchers in the league, trailing only Max Fried and Freddy Peralta’s 11 Ws.
Passan truly believes that if the Red Sox can add just one more starting pitcher, they have a chance to win it all.
“Aroldis Chapman’s going nowhere. Alex Bregman’s going nowhere. They’re gonna add. And if they get another starting pitcher who can be at the top of that rotation… The Boston Red Sox are legitimate World Series contenders,” Passan said.
Aroldis Chapman’s going nowhere. Alex Bregman’s going nowhere. They’re gonna add. And if they get another starting pitcher who can be at the top of that rotation … The Boston Red Sox are legitimate World Series contenders.”
– @JeffPassanpic.twitter.com/K9M6R3bpHU
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) July 14, 2025
The Red Sox will have to earn it, though, as they face the three first-place NL teams coming out of the All-Star break. First, they head to Chicago to take on the 57-39 Cubs. From there, the road trip concludes against the 55-41 Philadelphia Phillies. The team will enjoy Thursday, July 24, off before hosting the reigning World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
What Are the Red Sox Trade Options at the Deadline?
With Giolito, Bello, and Crochet lined up for the Cubs series, the Red Sox rotation shows they need another quality arm. Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen are two names making waves on the trade block, but there’s a chance neither of those pitchers will ever return to what they once were. Depending on what Boston has to give up to land either one of them, it may not be worth the investment.
Alcantara sits at 4-9 with his 7.22 ERA on the Miami Marlins. He’s thrown 91 innings this season and has one of the worst ERAs in the Marlins’ rotation. The 29-year-old has given up 18 runs in his last three starts. However, he’s only collected the loss in one of those three games. He’s guaranteed to eat up innings, as he hasn’t thrown less than five since May 28.
Meanwhile, teams such as the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays have been linked to Zac Gallen, so why not throw another AL East team in the mix?
Gallen’s 7-10 record and 5.40 ERA look great compared to Alcantara, though he just gave up six earned runs to the Los Angeles Angels after picking up a pair of wins to start the month.