The Boston Red Sox have multiple holes on the roster to fill with just a few days to do so before the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline.
Boston will be buyers ahead of the deadline despite a slow start to the second half of the season. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made it known that Boston is open for business and wants to add and now there are just five days to go until the deadline.
The Red Sox’s biggest needs are another starting pitcher, a right-handed bat, and possibly one more reliever. It will be tough to fill all three of these holes, but it always could happen.
One player the Red Sox should consider to help in the bullpen is former top prospect Michael Kopech. He currently pitches for the Chicago White Sox but is expected to be moved, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman and Tim Britton.
Advertisement
“It’s just not going to happen for Michael Kopech in Chicago, but surely some team is convinced it can fix a former top-20 prospect with a triple-digit fastball and 12 strikeouts per nine innings,” Gleeman and Britton said. “Whether starting or relieving, he’s been doomed by too many homers and walks, but Kopech is an obvious buy-low candidate with another full season of team control remaining.”
Kopech doesn’t have great numbers this year, but when you have one of the best fastballs in baseball, you should be considered. Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey has done wonders with Boston’s pitching this year, imagine what he could do with Kopech?
They could keep him in the bullpen for the rest of the season to help provide more depth and maybe even move him back to the starting rotation heading into 2025. He has stuff you can’t teach. If Bailey could put him in a position to succeed, he could be a sneaky great option.
More MLB: Red Sox Urged To Make Deadline Swap With A.L. Team Nearing Firesale
The fifth World Cup match in Foxborough features two strong teams and two of the best strikers in the world.
Kylian Mbappé leads France against Erling Haaland and Norway in the final group-stage game being played in Foxborough. On Monday, Germany will take on a yet-to-be-determined opponent in a Round of 32 elimination game, and Foxborough’s final match will be a quarterfinal on July 9.
Here are scenes from Friday’s game from Globe photographers.
France superstar Kylian Mbappé (right) screams after one of teammate Ousmane Dembele’s goals.Christian Kantosky for The Boston Globe
France’s Jules Kounde (left) defends against Norway forward Andreas Schjelderup.Lane Turner/Globe Staff
France forward Ousmane Dembele celebrates after scoring one of his three first-half goals.Christian Kantosky for The Boston Globe
Erik Lunde, from California, attended the Group I match between France and Norway in Foxborough.Finn Gomez for The Boston Globe
Norway striker Erling Haaland, who did not start, warms up before the World Cup match against France.Christian Kantosky for The Boston Globe
Norway fans are fired up before the game against France.Lane Turner/Globe Staff
France forward Rayan Cherki (left) and Norway’s Erling Haaland, teammates at Manchester City, embrace before the start of the game.Lane Turner/Globe Staff
A Norway fan wore face paint and a Viking helmet for the game.Christian Kantosky for The Boston Globe
Norway fans filled the stands in Foxborough.Christian Kantosky for The Boston Globe
A France fan, complete with rooster headwear, waits for the start of the game.Lane Turner/Globe Staff
Robert Branchaud of Tewksbury is prepared for the Group I match between France and Norway.Finn Gomez for The Boston Globe
Fans begin to enter the stadium for the match between France and Norway.Finn Gomez for The Boston Globe
Howard Carlsson and Christian Loset of Drammen, Norway, pose for a photo before the game.Finn Gomez for The Boston Globe
Lane Turner can be reached at lane.turner@globe.com. Finn Gomez can be reached at finn.gomez@globe.com. Christian Kantosky can be reached at christian.kantosky@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram at @ckantoskyphoto.
