The Boston Red Sox are one of the biggest storylines in all of baseball at the MLB All-Star break. Their 10-game winning streak heading into the second half of the season is setting them up for an exciting finish down the stretch with the potential to win the AL East.
It's hard to believe that a month ago, when the Red Sox shipped off Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants that many thought that Boston would sell at the deadline. Their recent hot streak and the possibility of being buyers at the deadline have many Red Sox fans dreaming of a division title and a possible run in the postseason. And one area where the team could be searching for upgrades is in the rotation or even the bullpen.
That's not the only good news, however; the Red Sox may be calling up one of their top pitching prospects just in time to make a run at a division title.
Payton Tolle could be called up to Boston soon, which could help win the trade deadline
Heading into the second half of the season, one thing that the Red Sox need to improve is their bullpen. While the Red Sox could potentially go after relievers at the trade deadline, they have relievers in their farm system that could be called up.
One of those minor league pitchers is Double-A Portland Sea Dogs pitcher Payton Tolle. The Red Sox drafted Tolle out of TCU with the 50th pick in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft. As the Double-A affiliate of the Red Sox, the Sea Dogs have seen great production out of Tolle in just three games played after spending the first 11 games in High-A Greenville.
Tolle has been nothing short of dominant in the minors this season, he has recorded one save and 101 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched. Tolle also has an ERA of 3.25 on the season. Even more impressive, he's lowered his ERA and actually maintained an elite strikeout rate with the jump to Double-A.
If Tolle were to be called up to the Red Sox, it would benefit the Red Sox during the final stretch of the season. Tolle would be joining a Red Sox bullpen group that features Arlodis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Wilson, Greg Weissert, and Justin Slaten
The biggest question mark for the Red Sox as the deadline is the future of Chapman. Many consider Chapman to be a trade target for some of the top teams in the American League, but give the Red Sox's recent winning streak, Chapman is likely to stay in Boston for the playoff push.