Red Sox Sneaky Splash To Bolster Starting Rotation

If the Boston Red Sox are going to make a run to the playoffs this season, it would make sense to add more pitching before August 1st gets here.

There are just a few days left for Boston to swing a trade and the starting rotation is the team's most obvious hole right now with Tanner Houck, Hunter Dobbins, and Kutter Crawford all injured, More depth is needed and one sneaky starter Boston should consider is Chicago White Sox starter Adrian Houser.

Houser has been lights-out this season. He has a 2.10 ERA across 11 starts this season, is extremely cheap, and isn't under contract beyond this season. He's 32 years old and this is undoubtedly the best start to a season in his career so far. Maybe the surprising nature of the season in general and the fact that he's a rental could lead to an affordable price.

It seems like he's going to be moved. Chicago is struggling again and MLB.com's Mark Feinsand listed Houser as a player to watch ahead of the deadline.

"Adrian Houser, RHP, White Sox," Feinsand said. "fWAR: 1.8. Under control through: 2025. Houser has been a popular trade candidate this month, with a number of teams calling the White Sox about the 32-year-old. After opting out of his Minor League deal with the Rangers in mid-May, Houser signed with Chicago and has been a revelation, going 5-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 10 starts.

"He’s earning only $1.35 million this season, making him an inexpensive rotation option for contenders in need of an innings-eater. Houser is averaging more than six innings per start for the White Sox, consistently getting weak contact (he’s in the 94th percentile in barrel rate) while posting solid ground-ball numbers (48.1 percent)."

This is the type of move that would help now and likely not hurt the future too much. Why not?