The Red Sox didn’t make a mountain of moves on Thursday’s trade deadline. What they did do, however, was secure a pair of hurlers for the stretch run.
Boston landed former Dodgers twirler Dustin May on Thursday, adding another depth piece to a rotation increasingly filled with them. The Red Sox also cemented their bullpen by acquiring former Cardinals reliever Steven Matz.
The Red Sox sit five games short of the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. They are more than capable of putting on a run to outshine Toronto and New York and land a golden ticket into the playoffs come fall. With the acquisition of May — and, to a lesser extent, Matz — those desires haven’t yet subsided during a 59-51 start to the season.
With that, here’s a look at how May could fit into Boston’s rotation during the final few months of the season.
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Red Sox 2025 projected rotation
The Red Sox came into the season with flamethrowers and veterans galore. They find themselves in a similar position following the trade deadline. Garrett Crochet is a Cy Young contender and figures to keep his strong play going into the fall months, while Brayan Bello’s pitching delivery bursts with fire and brimstone. Historically, May has offered a similar pitch mix. This season has seen him deviate from that path — his breaking stuff has been more effective than his fastball, which has looked fairly mediocre.
With a 4.85 ERA, 84 ERA+, and peripherals that look far shakier than he has typically produced, Boston is buying low on May, who hits the open market in 2026. The 27-year-old hadn’t pitched since 2023, so rust, while not ideal, was likely. Fortunately for the Red Sox, they can afford to take some risks in the back-end of their rotation.
Crochet and Bello are as good a 1-2 combo as you can find in MLB. The performances from the rest of the rotation? Not ideal. Walker Buehler looks like a shell of his former self, while Richard Fitts, Lucas Giolito, and Hunter Dobbin have yet to establish themselves as little more than names from a different area.
Perhaps Boston’s rotation isn’t the best in baseball. There’s reason to believe it’s up there, particularly with Crochet and Bello leading the way. May has struggled mightily since returning from injury at the start of the 2025 campaign, but he should have an opportunity to rewrite his story comeback come the end of the year.
| Position | Player |
| 1 | Garrett Crochet |
| 2 | Brayan Bello |
| 3 | Lucas Giolito |
| 4 | Walker Buehler |
| 5 | Dustin May |
How Dustin May fits in Red Sox rotation
May won’t be the first name on the team sheet when he joins Boston. At present, his helpfulness is related to his utility; he offers depth and experience in the Red Sox rotation — useful attributes in the meat grinder that is an MLB season.
Giolito, Buehler, Dobbins, and Fitts have all endured average to slightly below-average campaigns thus far. May operates in a similar space at the moment. If he can find joy with his fastball again, he could be on the cusp of a major breakthrough.
