Red Sox Trade Proposal Saves Rotation With $15.5 Million Ace For Prospect Haul

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Alex Cora needs some help for his starting rotation.

The Boston Red Sox need help. After a two-week spell earlier in June when they won 10 of 12 games, including a six-game winning streak, the team that going into the season was widely predicted to win the American League East has reverted to its previous ways, dropping five in a row to conclude a nine-game west coast swing at 3-6.

In the current slump, the Red Sox slid from three games over .500 and four games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East, to two games under .500, 6 1/2 games out.

The problems have been many and various, of course, but outside of that brief winning streak much of the issue comes down to the starting rotation. Red Sox starters had a 4.29 ERA heading into Wednesday’s game, which turned out to be a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, which ranked 22nd of MLB’s 30 teams.

Starters, outside of staff ace Garrett Crochet, have had trouble getting through five innings, which has a cascading effect on the bullpen, wearing relief pitchers down due to overwork. Red Sox starters have thrown a total of 431 2/3 innings, which is not too bad on first glance, at 11th-most in MLB.

Brewers Starter Named ‘Best Fit’ For Red Sox in Trade

But Crochet is responsible for about 25 percent of those innings, with a league-leading 109 1/3. The 26-year-old lefty averages 6.43 innings per start, while all other Red Sox starters contribute only 4.97.

One Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher who may be available on the trade market could go a long way toward solving that problem. Peralta, like Crochet, has started 17 games, tied for MLB’s best, while putting in 5.47 innings per start. Peralta has also put up a 2.90 ERA while striking out 98 in 93 innings.

Perhaps more to the point, according to an analysis by ESPN.com experts Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, the 29-year-old, eight year Brewers veteran has a 20 percent, or one-in-five, chance of leaving Milwaukee in trade this season.

The ESPN.com writers name the Red Sox as a “best fit” for Peralta.

Red Sox Could Deal Prospects for Peralta

With all of that in mind, one Red Sox online account, Soxologist, put together a proposal that could bring Peralta to Boston. In exchange, the Red Sox would send:

Kutter Crawford, a right-handed starter who has not yet pitched in 2025, and is now expected to miss the remainder of the season with wrist surgery.

Jhostynxon Garcia, a 22-year-old power-hitting outfielder and Boston’s No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

David Sandlin, a righty pitcher who was an 11th-round Kanas City Royals draft pick in 2022. Now at the Red Sox’ Double-A affiliate in Portland, Maine, Sandlin is ranked ninth among all Red Sox prospects, and second among pitchers.

Mikey Romero, a 21-year-old infielder from San Diego, California, who was the Boston’s first-round draft pick, 24th overall, in 2022. Romero, according to SoxProspects.com, is currently the No. 10 ranked prospect in the Red Sox system.

Minor league expert Owen Hurd of Scout the Statline evaluated the proposal, and called it “solid … probably what a potential package looks like in my opinion if (Milwaukee) deals Peralta.”

Hurd added, however, that the Red Sox could probably hold on to Sandlin and Romero, and deal Crawford and Garcia by themselves to obtain Peralta, whose five-year, $15.5 million contract with the Brewers ends this year.

Peralta, who currently leads the National League in wins with eight, also comes with a club option for 2026 before he hits free agency, so he would be more than a mere “rental” for the Red Sox.

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin