Red Sox Should Avoid Dealing for Mets' Zack Wheeler

Rumors have swirled that the Red Sox are in the market for a starter, and they've been linked specifically to New York Mets righty Zack Wheeler right from the outset.

Trading for him, though, would be a massive blunder in a season full of them, and Boston should avoid dealing for Wheeler at all costs.

The first major red flag comes when you consider the high price they'd pay for a pitcher at the height of inconsistency. Sure, his 4.69 ERA is a full run higher than his 3.65 FIP, but there's no way to determine when that streak of bad luck will end.

Tossing Wheeler, who's allowed a career-high 16 home runs this year, into Fenway Park probably wouldn't do much to help either. The last thing the Red Sox need is a back-end rotation arm who's tossing batting practice every fifth day, toting a poorly-located fastball.

Also, facts are facts: the Sox simply don't have the depth in the farm system to swing a deal for him, as well as address other areas of need like the 'pen. The Mets are particularly fond of Wheeler (even just ahead of free agency), and the prospects necessary for the Sox to land him would cripple their already-depleted pipeline.

To top it all off, the only reason the Red Sox are in the market for a starter is because they put themselves in need of one by declaring that Nathan Eovaldi will move to the bullpen once he returns from the injured list.

They have plenty of arms in Triple-A to tide them over until he returns, at which point they'll have a reliable fifth starter who can take pressure off of the bullpen, who have worked tirelessly to fill the void he's left.

Dealing for Wheeler simply wouldn't be a smart move. The Red Sox shouldn't even be considering it, plain and simple.