We've heard a number of things about the Red Sox so far in the offseason. One being that they're going to chase one of the top pitching free agents, and the other being they're looking to trade Yoenis Cespedes. Can both of these ideas be used to kill two birds with one stone?
It's no secret the Red Sox are in need of a starting pitcher. They traded away Jon Lester, John Lackey and Jake Peavy before the trade deadline and haven't a clear-cut ace in their starting rotation. Clay Buchholz had a poor 2014 campaign, posting an 8-11 record with a 5.34 ERA in 28 starts, so they can't rely on his success for next year. But with a surplus of outfielders Boston could make a deal for a starting pitcher.
With the general manager and winter meetings approaching, the Red Sox are in a good position to plead their case. Right now their outfield is jam-packed with Yoenis Cespedes, Allen Craig, Rusney Castillo, Mookie Betts, Shane Victorino and Daniel Nava while their pitching staff has a dearth of talent with Buchholz, Joe Kelly, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, Anthony Ranaudo and Brandon Workman. Oddly enough, the Philadelphia Phillies are listening to teams interested in Cole Hamels and are in desperate need of a power-hitting outfielder.
However, Phillies' general manager Ruben Amaro was reportedly asking for too much when teams inquired about Hamels prior to this year's trade deadline. He might have to lower his asking price if he wants to execute a trade because Hamels is 31 years old and he has at least four more years and $90 million remaining on his current contract. Although Hamels is an All-Star pitcher, the Phillies are in rebuilding mode and there's little reason to keep the left-hander at his age and at his current price. The Red Sox have outfielders they can offer, ranging from the power-hitting Cespedes and prospect Mookie Betts. Cespedes reportedly has no interest in playing right field or signing a long-term extension with Boston, which is why the team wants to move him. On the other hand, Betts is a second baseman, but the team moved him to the outfield because they want to utilize his talents somehow. One of these two players can be a centerpiece in a trade for Hamels.
Additionally, the good news is that Hamels won't cost the Red Sox a draft pick, unlike free agents Max Scherzer and James Shields. The bad news is that they have competition with the Chicago Cubs, and Amaro is not yet dead set on moving his ace.
"There are more difficult decisions than others as far as moving certain players are concerned," Amaro said in this Philly.com article. "Cole is one of those guys in particular who can be a bridge to the future as well, because of the length of the contract, because of the quality of the pitcher... There's no need to go out and move him, there's no rush to go out and move him."
Perhaps his asking price might not be lowering too much, but the Red Sox have the personnel that might interest Amaro. The Phillies have also been linked to power-hitting Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas, who is a right fielder, so if they can add him and acquire, say, Cespedes to play left field (because they're exploring options to trade Domonic Brown), Philadelphia can get ahead of their rebuilding process.
Other teams that could use an outfielder include the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds. Each of their pitching staffs has plenty of talent and it could be in their best interest to at least explore a potential deal before it gets too late in the offseason. But right now it's for certain that the Phillies are listening to teams interested in Cole Hamels, which makes him the most obvious potential trade target.
