The Boston Red Sox may have survived their post-All-Star break gauntlet, but they’ve got a long battle ahead of them the rest of the season.

After going 4-5 against the first-place teams of the National League, the Red Sox head to Minnesota in their final series before the trade deadline. And game one of the season shows just how evident it is that they still need reinforcements by Thursday.

All due respect to Richard Fitts, who’s flashed some talent in his limited time in the majors, but the Red Sox need a more experienced starting pitcher to round out their rotation. It’s especially crucial to bring in someone who can eat innings, as many of Boston’s starters have struggled to go deep into games in the last two weeks.

Though the Red Sox might prefer to grab Minnesota Twins All-Star Joe Ryan, who would be under control through the 2027 season, it seems more likely at this point that they’ll wind up settling for a rental.

On Sunday, Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut predicted that the Red Sox would land arguably the top rental still on the market: Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“We think one of Merrill Kelly or Zac Gallen will be moved at the MLB trade deadline, but not both. Ultimately, it will be Kelly who gets moved in a deal to the Boston Red Sox,” wrote Johnson.

“Acquiring Kelly, a half-season rental, allows Boston to keep All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran while strengthening its rotation for a potential playoff push. Boston also has quite a few quality prospects at the Double-A level who Arizona could target for a call-up in 2027, when the team could be back on track as a National League contender.”

The 36-year-old Kelly is exactly what the Red Sox need: a reliable, veteran innings-eater with postseason experience. He’s got a 3.22 ERA and 3.2 bWAR in 22 starts this season, racking up 128 2/3 innings pitched. In the 2023 playoffs, he put up a 3-1 record with a 2.25 ERA in four starts, including a win in Game 2 of the World Series.

Plenty of other contenders need starters too, so Boston will have to be decisive ahead of Thursday’s deadline to ensure they land Kelly if they think he’s the man for the job.