With just over 10 minutes left before Thursday’s 6 p.m. MLB trade deadline, the Red Sox finally swung a trade for a starting pitcher:
Right-hander Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers, in exchange for outfield prospect James Tibbs III, whom the San Francisco Giants sent to Boston last month in the Rafael Devers trade.
According to Chris Smith of MassLive, the Red Sox are also sending outfield prospect Zach Ehrhard to the Dodgers.
May, 27, is in his sixth big-league season. Through 19 games (18 starts) the Texas native owns a 4.85 ERA with 97 strikeouts and 43 walks over a career-high 104 innings. Though he’s has pitched at least five innings 16 times this season, he’s also allowed multiple runs in 14 of his outings. He’s in the 82nd MLB percentile in Breaking Run Value this year, but he ranks well below average in most other metrics, including Fastball Run Value (10th MLB percentile), Average Exit Velocity (14th), Hard-Hit % (22nd), BB% (29th), and K% (44th).
It’s been a difficult summer for May, who has a 5.59 ERA and 30 earned runs in 48.1 innings over nine games (eight starts) since the beginning of June. His only outing without multiple runs allowed was his 4.2-inning relief appearance on July 21.
Health is a concern, too. May’s inning count this season is already more than double his previous career-high (56 IP, 2020). He pitched to a 3.10 ERA over 46 games (34 starts) between his ’19 debut and ’23, when he underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time. Surgery to repair an esophageal tear last July prevented him from pitching in ’24 as well.
Like Steven Matz, the lefty reliever Boston acquired this morning, May is a short-term rental who will be a free agent after this season.
The Red Sox did not make any other moves.
Originally Published:
