Red Sox Trade Idea Addresses Position of Need With Pirates' Mitch Keller

Red Sox Trade Idea Addresses Position of Need With Pirates' Mitch Keller originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Boston Red Sox remain in the thick of the postseason hunt four days before the July 31 trade deadline.

As of Monday, the Red Sox sit third in the AL East with a 57-50 record. They also occupy the American League's second wild card spot, sitting just half a game ahead of the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners, who are tied for the third spot. Because of this, the Red Sox will be among the most aggressive teams ahead of the deadline.

One of the Red Sox's most glaring areas of need is their rotation, where the club will look to add to its already-existing corps of arms (Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, and Lucas Giolito). Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller has recently been connected to the franchise, and The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey proposed that a deal bringing Keller to Bean Town could get done.

"In Keller, the Red Sox would acquire a dependable and controllable starter," McCaffrey wrote. "He’s under team control through 2028, with $55.7 million remaining on the final three seasons of a five-year deal. That’s an affordable salary for a solid starting pitcher, especially one who hasn’t posted an ERA north of 4.25 in the past four years, and the Red Sox have plenty of payroll flexibility following the Devers deal."

Keller's controllability will only make his asking price higher, and McCaffrey believes it will come at the cost of the Red Sox's top two minor-league prospects: shortstop Franklin Arias (the No. 33 prospect in the league, per MLB Pipeline) and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia (No. 89).

"Garcia boasts raw power and seems the likeliest prospect to be moved in the farm system, particularly if the Red Sox want to hold onto their current four big-league outfielders. He has an OPS close to .950 at Triple A, but the Red Sox roster doesn’t have room for him now — or anytime soon," McCaffrey wrote. "The Red Sox have pegged Marcelo Mayer as their shortstop of the future, so while Arias would not be big-league ready for the Pirates, Mayer’s presence makes it easier to part with him."

Former general manager Jim Bowden offered his thoughts on the trade proposal, writing that he likes the upside of both prospects, especially one who could soon be playing for the Pirates' major-league team. Bowden believes, however, that the Pirates' front office could make a fair deal by asking the Red Sox for either outfielder Jarren Duran straight up or a package including Garcia and second baseman Kristian Campbell.

Keller has spent the entirety of his professional baseball career in the Pirates organization, dating back to being taken with a second-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and making his big-league debut five years later. A representative of the Pirates at the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, Keller has pitched to a 4-10 record, 3.53 ERA, and 1.16 WHIP, in addition to striking out 97 batters, in 125 innings pitched across 21 starts this year.

Related: Red Sox Predicted to Land $77 Million All-Star Starting Pitcher

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.