Red Sox Trade Idea Brings Marlins’ Veteran to Ailing Rotation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Boston Red Sox’s starting pitching has struggled throughout the season. Other than ace Garrett Crochet, the team has very few reliable arms. Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck have missed the majority of the season due to injury.
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Walker Buehler’s 5.95 ERA ranks 131st among pitching with at least 40 innings of work, according to FanGraphs. Veteran Lucas Giolito, who was supposed to anchor Boston’s rotation, has failed to make it out of the fifth inning in four of his nine starts.
As the trade deadline approaches, Boston must look to upgrade the rotation if it wants to contend in the American League.NESN’s Jay Pritchard suggests the Red Sox target Miami Marlins’ starter Cal Quantrill.
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“The Miami Marlins are well under .500 and are unlikely to climb back into contention. They may have veteran arms available. Cal Quantrill has been steady, if unspectacular, and is a pending free agent.”
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This season, Quantrill is 3-7 with a 5.68 ERA and 48 strikeouts across 63.1 innings. The 30-year-old’s struggles are evident, but his advanced metrics provide hope that an uptick in production is possible.
Quantrill’s 4.45 FIP (Field Independent Pitching: estimates a pitcher’s performance based on events within their control) is far better than his ERA dictates. It does not help that Quantrill is playing with the Marlins’ 22nd-ranked defense, according to FanGraphs, behind him.
Removing Quantrill from the horrid situation in Miami and allowing him to pitch paired with Boston’s eighth-ranked defense should only improve his performance.
Quantrill would not be the big-name addition that fans may want, but as a one-year rental, he could eat innings for a team desperate for them. He has made all 14 of his scheduled starts this season, having gone five innings or more in eight of them.
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Having a healthy arm capable of pitching every fifth day matters, especially in the looming dog days of summer, and Quantrill fits the mold of a less expensive option capable of doing so.
Related: Red Sox Fan Favorite David Ortiz Takes Another Shot at Rafael Devers
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.