Red Sox Add May, Matz; Miss Out on Ryan, Kelly

The Boston Red Sox acquired pitchers Steven Matz from the Cardinals and Dustin May from the Dodgers, both on expiring contracts, in an effort to strengthen their pitching staff ahead of the 2025 MLB trade deadline. Despite fan speculation and erroneous reports from outlets such as FOX Sports and Yahoo Sports, the Red Sox did not trade for Minnesota Twins All-Star Joe Ryan, as their offer fell well short of Minnesota's demands. Boston also failed to land other top pitching targets, including Merrill Kelly. May was acquired in exchange for top prospect James Tibbs III, while Matz is expected to provide bullpen depth with potential for rotation work. The team now faces the remainder of the season relying on their existing rotation and minor league options. Discussions with Minnesota may resume in the offseason, but the Red Sox's deadline moves are widely seen as underwhelming compared to rivals.