Red Sox-Orioles Blockbuster? Insider Proposes Arm, Slugger Package For Boston

The trade deadline is nearly upon us, and there's a lot of work left to do for the Boston Red Sox.

By Thursday evening, the Red Sox should have more reinforcements than just lefty reliever Steven Matz, whom they acquired late Wednesday night from the Baltimore Orioles. A starting pitcher, a slugging first baseman, and more bullpen help are all worthwhile targets.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow knows the heat is on to improve the roster in the wake of the Rafael Devers trade. Does he have a blockbuster up his sleeve?

A deal to kill two birds with one stone with the division-rival Baltimore Orioles might fit the bill, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic thinks it could happen.

On Thursday, Rosenthal proposed that the Red Sox could acquire first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and starting pitcher Charlie Morton in a package deal before the 6 p.m. ET deadline.

"The Sox still need a starting pitcher and first baseman," wrote Rosenthal. "The Rays do not appear especially keen on trading (Yandy) Díaz. The Sox tried for Eugenio Suárez with the idea of moving him to first. Here’s a thought: What about a Morton-O’Hearn combination from the Orioles?"

The fact that Boston tried for Suárez, who has 36 home runs this season and was the top position player to get traded so far, could show their willingness to make a sizable offer to solve the first base issue. And a trade for both O'Hearn and Morton, though they're both rentals, could carry a high cost.

O'Hearn was an All-Star this season and has a robust 135 OPS+, though he's much better against right-handed pitchers than lefties. He'd immediately slot in as an upgrade over Abraham Toro at first base, and perhaps Romy Gonzalez could still take the bulk of the reps against lefties.

Meanwhile, Morton has a 5.42 ERA, but he's putting up a strikeout per inning, and has looked much better on the whole since returning to the rotation, with a 3.88 ERA in his last 60 1/3 innings.

It's just an idea, but it's one that would make a lot of sense for Boston to kill two birds with one stone.