Red Sox Linked To Royals All-Star Starting Pitcher In Potential Game-Changer

As Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow emphasizes the need for "impact" starting pitchers, it's worth noting that those pitchers are in extremely short supply.

The Red Sox want what every team covets: young starters who have proven their worth, but are still under team control for multiple seasons. They pulled off a bold trade to nab one this winter in Garrett Crochet, and it seems as though they're hoping lightning can strike twice.

Minnesota Twins star Joe Ryan has been a name on Red Sox fans' minds for a while now, but it doesn't seem like there's a very good chance he gets dealt. But is it Ryan or bust for the Red Sox at this deadline? Perhaps there's another American League Central star who could be in play.

On Monday, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel named the Red Sox as a potential trade fit for Kansas City Royals All-Star Kris Bubic, who they assigned only a 15 percent chance of getting traded before the Jul. 31 deadline.

With Lugo set to hit free agency and Ragans still on the shelf, the Royals would need to be bowled over to consider moving their All-Star left-hander," wrote Passan and McDaniel.

"At the same time, with the pitching market thin, they understand that the sort of haul Bubic could bring is at least worth engaging on. With a 2.48 ERA and another year of club control, his value is sky-high, and he's a legitimate solution for teams seeking a front-of-the-rotation starter."

The 27-year-old Bubic pitched five scoreless innings on Sunday to lower his ERA to 2.38, and he's now got 115 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings. Slotting him in as the number-two behind Crochet would instantly make Boston a World Series contender, and that's why it's worth considering whatever price the Royals would look to extract.

Passan and McDaniel also listed the Royals as a fit for Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, a hint that the 28-year-old star would almost definitely need to be included in a package for Bubic.

Maybe it's a long shot, but if the door is open for the Red Sox to land Bubic, Breslow needs to be willing to move mountains to make it happen.