Fansided

3 trades Chaim Bloom needs to make before the Red Sox season is lost

By David Salituro

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 11: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out toend the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 11, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 11: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out toend the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 11, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OHIO – MAY 09: Luis Castillo #58 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on May 09, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – MAY 09: Luis Castillo #58 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on May 09, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Boston Red Sox trade for Luis Castillo and beef up the starting rotation

The Red Sox shouldn’t stop with bolstering their lineup. For an ideal upgrade to their pitching staff, they should go looking at the bottom-feeding Cincinnati Reds.

Luis Castillo has one of the strongest right arms in the Majors. Only Sandy Alcantara, Zack Wheeler, and Gerrit Cole threw more pitches clocked at 97 mph or higher last season than Castillo. From 2019-21, he was one of 10 starters in the National League to strike out more than 10 batters per nine innings.

Castillo was sidelined by a right shoulder injury during Spring Training and only made his 2022 debut on Monday. He gave up three runs over 4.2 innings while striking out five in a Reds win over the Brewers. His powerful sinker hit as high as 97.2 mph on the radar gun. For all his velocity, though, his best pitch might be his changeup. Opponents hit just .209 off the pitch last season; against the Brewers, four of his five strikeouts came off a changeup.

Adding Castillo would help more than just the Red Sox rotation. The bullpen has been a sore spot in Boston’s slow start to the season. The club is 3-7 in one-run games, has lost five games on walk-off hits, and has blown 11 leads in 31 games. With Castillo, the Red Sox would be able to move Garrett Whitlock back into the bullpen, especially when Chris Sale eventually makes his return from a rib injury.

A rotation led by Sale, Castillo, and Nathan Eovaldi is just what the Red Sox need to climb back into contention. The Reds have shown they’re willing to trade off all their prime assets, and their management doesn’t think much of their fanbase. Castillo is there for a contending team to take, and the Red Sox need to be in the hunt for him.

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