Could the Boston Red Sox pull off an inter-division trade to bolster their ailing rotation?

The Blue Jays have a right-hander with Cy Young potential on the roster that reportedly has fallen out of favor in Toronto.

Manoah entered the 2023 season with a career 25-9 record, 2.60 ERA (157 ERA+), 307-to-91 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .198 batting average against and a 1.01 WHIP in 308 1/3 innings. At that time, the right-hander appeared to be one of the top young aces in the game, headed for superstardom.

Coming off a third-place finish in American League Cy Young voting — and earning votes for the MVP — Manoah was expected to be a bona fide ace in 2023. Instead, he posted a 5.87 ERA with a 79-to-59 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .269 batting average against and a horrendous 1.74 WHIP in 87 1/3 innings across 19 games.

If the Red Sox were to inquire, they could not bank on Manoah as a frontline starter for 2024. However, the 25-year-old with four more seasons of team control would be the ultimate buy-low addition for Boston. He has a legitimate Cy Young ceiling and could be non-tendered or traded in a year if his career continues to derail.

Manoah and Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo have some semblance of a rivalry, wouldn’t it be so fitting if they were traded for each other? That said, for Verdugo to be involved, Boston likely would have to get more than just Manoah after the pitiful season he just had. Toronto has been in the market for outfield help and Verdugo certainly qualifies.

It would be preferable to see the Red Sox attempt to make this move without their right fielder involved but adding Verdugo into the mix would be the quickest pathway to a deal.