Boston Red Sox Trade Rumors: Team within reach of Wild Card looking to fill holes ahead of deadline

The Boston Red Sox are an interesting team to look at ahead of the trade deadline. They came into the season with little expectations. They are 8.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays as the second half starts.

Weeks ago, Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom did not know what the team would do before the trade deadline. But Boston has done their best to twist his hand and look for some players to help improve the team and go on a run.

One area in which Boston could use help is pitching. They lost Chris Sale to the 60-day IL in early June with a stress reaction on his shoulder blade. Other pitchers on the IL include Tanner Houck, Corey Kluber, Richard Bleier, and Garrett Whitlock.

All these pitchers are expected to return this season, but the Red Sox could look at acquiring an arm at the deadline to help. One pitcher that the team has been tied to is Detroit Tigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.

Rodriguez spent the first six years of his career in Boston. He has compiled a 5-5 record with a 2.70 ERA with 81 strikeouts this season with the Tigers. Given Detroit's status, many see them as sellers at the deadline.

The next few weeks will be important for the Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox v Chicago Cubs

The next few weeks will decide whether Boston will be a buyer at the deadline. They are two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot.

Boston started the second half of the season with a series against the Chicago Cubs. They won the first game of the series 8-3 but lost the second game. They have one more game against the Cubs before they start a series against the Oakland Athletics. A hot start could make Boston aggressive buyers at the deadline.