Red Sox rumors: Guardians starter Shane Bieber a name to watch as trade deadline nears, Boston promotes two pitching prospects to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have been focused on rebuilding their pitching pipeline with young controllable talent under the guidance of chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Boston has had better depth the last two years, helping them navigate the schedule over the course of a full season.

Now the Red Sox should look to move some of that young talent and bolster the Major League roster. 

There is no doubt the Red Sox need to add to the starting rotation if they want to make a postseason run. Garrett Crochet has been as advertised, leading the rotation; he’s been a consistent force every fifth day. Behind Crochet, there have been inconsistencies from the rest of the starters. Walker Buehler has been a bust, owing an ERA north of 5.50 this season; Tanner Houck has been shut down dealing with a right arm issue, Brayan Bello has been a bright spot, and Lucas Giolito has been excellent over the last couple of months.

Boston will be without Hunter Dobbins for the remainder of the season following an ACL injury. It looks like Patrick Sandoval will not pitch off the mound for the Sox this season. The left-hander has been rehabbing back from Tommy John surgery and was hoping to return this season. Sandoval hasn’t been progressing as the club has hoped, and he’s stopped throwing bullpen sessions. Sandoval has been playing catch, but his return this season is in jeopardy.

Alex Cora said Sandoval didn’t suffer a setback during his rehab. 

“But he wasn’t moving the way he was moving early, so right now we’re just playing catch and doing the things he needs to do to keep the arm going,” Cora said Friday. “But not throwing bullpens. Just kind of slow down the pace.”

The Red Sox have been connected to Padres starter Dylan Cease but aren’t expected to trade outfielder Jarren Duran in a potential swap. 

"The Red Sox have signaled interest in (Dylan) Cease, who would be a rental,” MassLive's Sean McAdam reported. “The Padres, in their never-ending quest to acquire Duran, proposed a package involving Cease, catching prospect Ethan Salas, and another prospect (not shortstop Leo de Vries) for Duran, which was quickly rejected."

As Breslow looks for options for his rotation, one name to watch ahead of Thursday’s deadline is rehabbing Guardians starter Shane Bieber.

The Guardians could shop Bieber, who is earning $10 million this season and has a $4 million buyout or a $16 million player option for next season. Unless he experiences a setback in his rehab, it’s unlikely he will exercise his option and should hit free agency. If he elects free agency, the Guardians can slap a $21 million qualifying offer on him, and they could potentially get a first-round compensatory pick if he signs with a club for $50 million and a second-round pick if he signs for under that number.

Cleveland has received calls on the right-hander, and according to FanSided’s Robert Murray, the Red Sox are a team to keep an eye on as the deadline draws closer.

"The Guardians have received calls on Bieber," The Athletic's Zack Meisel writes, "... The starting pitching market is lacking in sizzle - that is, unless the AL Central reshapes the market. 

"Even with (Seth) Lugo off the board, Bieber and Minnesota's Joe Ryan would be two of the top names on the market."

Bieber will make his fourth rehab start since he was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 27. In two rehab starts with the ACL Guardians (May 31 and July 15), he struck out 10 over 4.1 scoreless innings. Bieber allowed one run over three innings while striking out four in his start for High-A Lake County on July 22.

Boston was linked to Bieber this offseason and reportedly made a serious push to sign him.

"Before Shane Bieber re-signed with the Cleveland Guardians, the Boston Red Sox were 'aggressive' and made a 'serious push' to sign the right-hander, according to sources familiar with the situation," Murray wrote. "Bieber, 30 in May, turned down more money with other teams to return to Cleveland, sources say.”

If the Red Sox trade for Bieber, he is not the splash most fans had hoped for and would be a rental unless the club worked out an extension in the offseason.

Lugo was an option for the Sox, but he agreed to a two-year, $46-million extension with the Royals that will include a vesting option for the 2028 season. The 35-year-old made his first All-Star Game and won his first Gold Glove last season, when he went 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA in the first year of a two-year, $30-million deal that included a player option for next season. He has had a stellar season as one of the top rotation arms for the Royals, going 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA in 19 outings.

Kansas City has opted not to sell ahead of the deadline and sits four games back of the final wild-card spot.

Dodgers starter Dustin May, who was in Boston this past weekend, surrendered the huge homer to Alex Bregman on Sunday and is said to be available. He’s had an up-and-down campaign in his final year before he can hit free agency.

Los Angeles is expecting Blake Snell to return from the injured list in the coming week, and May could be a roster casualty to make room for the southpaw.

May should have been one of the prospects the Red Sox received back for Mookie Betts a few years ago. This season he’s 6-7 with a 4.85 ERA with 97 strikeouts and owns a 1.35 WHIP. He would be another rental option, but if Breslow feels the cost for a controllable arm is too expensive right now, May is a realistic option.

ESPN expects the Red Sox to be buyers before Thursday’s trade deadline listing Ryan (Twins), Mackenzie Gore (Nationals), Merrill Kelly (Diamondbacks), Cease (Padres), Sandy Alcantara (Marlins), Edward Cabrera (Marlins), and Charlie Morton (Orioles) as fits from a pitching perspective.

TWO YOUNG PITCHING PROSPECTS PROMOTED

As the Red Sox look for external pitching help, they’ve promoted left-hander Connelly Early and right-hander David Sandlin to Triple-A Worcester, according to Beyond the Monster’s Andrew Parker.

Early and Sandlin are two of the top pitching prospects in the Sox’ system, considering the next step down from top pitcher prospect Payton Tolle. SoxProspects ranks Early as the No. 10 prospect in the system and Sandlin at No. 11.

Both pitchers have been in the Sea Dogs starting rotation this season.

The 23-year-old Early owns a 2.51 ERA with a 7-2 record in 15 games (12 starts) with 96 strikeouts to just 29 walks in 71 2/3 innings. Boston selected the southpaw in the fifth round out of the University of Virginia in the 2023 draft.

Sandlin, 24, throws a fastball that sits in the upper 90s and could be an interesting name to help Boston’s bullpen at some point this season. The right-handed hurler has put together a solid season, going 5-4 with a 3.61 ERA with 86 strikeouts to 27 walks in 82 1/3 innings (17 games, 13 starts).

Both pitchers could be dangled at the trade deadline in efforts for the Red Sox to improve their 26-man roster. Sandlin is eligible for the Rule 5 draft this December and will need to be protected to avoid being drafted. If both starters pitch well with the WooSox, the Sox could mix-and-match them out of the bullpen and could make a spot start as needed down the stretch.