To dream the not-so-impossible dream. If Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow wants to add another starting pitcher to his rotation, there are some pretty compelling options on the trade market.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel listed the top 25 Hot Stove trade candidates. They linked the Red Sox to a pair of the top arms (possibly) up for grabs.

Let’s start with the Captain Obvious candidate: Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

The ESPN insiders listed the Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants as team fits. But the duo also noted there’s just a 10% chance of the Tigers trading Skubal.

“Despite several executives believing Skubal will move, the Tigers have shown no sign of deviating from their position that the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner will stay in Detroit,” McDaniel and Passan wrote. “Though he’s a free agent after 2026 and contract extension discussions have gone nowhere, Skubal is the Tigers’ centerpiece player, and Detroit intends to contend again next season.”

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The 29-year-old Skubal won his second straight American League Cy Young Award this year after leading the league with a 2.21 ERA. His 7.6 WAR and 0.89 WHIP also topped the AL. He finished second to Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet in strikeouts, recording a career-best 241 whiffs.

Passan and McDaniel listed Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan as the No. 6 trade candidate. His name is quite familiar to Red Sox fans as Boston tried (and failed) to acquire the All-Star before the 2025 trade deadline.

ESPN put the predicted chances of Ryan getting traded at 50% and listed the Red Sox, Orioles, Giants, New York Mets, Texas Rangers and Houston Astros as the best team fits.

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“For all the rumors about Ryan at the trade deadline, the Twins never came close to finalizing a deal,” Passan and McDaniel reported. “If the cost remains high for free agent pitching, teams could turn to trades to fill their rotation holes, at which point Minnesota again would be a match for just about anyone. Having three of the eight best trade candidates is a good place to start a rebuild.”

The 29-year-old Ryan posted a career-low 3.42 ERA this season and tied his personal best with 13 wins. He threw a career-high 171 innings in 2025 while striking out 194 batters. Ryan also set a new personal best with 4.5 WAR.

Starting pitching isn’t a top priority for the Red Sox, thanks to last week’s trade for St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray. But at 36, Gray doesn’t necessarily project as a solid No. 2 pitcher behind Crochet.

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Acquiring either Skubal or Ryan would give the Red Sox one of the best 1-2 starting pitching combos in the majors.