Matz is a strike-thrower who’s been dominant this year against lefties (.179/.216/.226 with a 19 percent strikeout rate and 3 percent walk rate) and can throw multiple innings — a complementary bullpen piece. In return, the Sox sent 22-year-old Blaze Jordan — a 2020 third-rounder — to St. Louis. Jordan had been amidst a breakthrough season, hitting .308/.377/.495 between Double A and Triple A.

So, the Sox are on the board. But will there be additional moves to come? There’s reason for the team to keep pushing.

For the first time since 2021, the Red Sox will arrive at the trade deadline in possession of one of the American League’s six postseason spots.

Their position is hardly secure. The Sox remain in a tight cluster with the Yankees, Mariners, and Rangers for the AL’s three Wild Card berths.

Still, for the first time in years, the front office doesn’t need to wrestle with the question of how hard to push for the postseason while sitting on the outside of the postseason picture. After a 13-1 victory over the Twins on Wednesday, the Sox’ playoff odds stood (according to Fangraphs) at 60 percent.

And so, the value of upgrades is clearer than it has been since the team nabbed Kyle Schwarber at the 2021 deadline. It’s a team capable of getting to the playoffs, and it’s not hard to imagine upgrades having a meaningful impact on the team’s ability to compete in postseason series.

With Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline nearing, according to major league sources, the Red Sox remain engaged with numerous clubs about potential upgrades. Their primary focus appears to be pitching in just about any form — starters or bullpen, rentals or longer-term contributors — though the team has also shown openness to improvement in other facets as well.

Start with pitching, where the Sox’ rationale to upgrade is fairly obvious.

The market for relievers picked up considerable steam Wednesday, with trades of closers Jhoan Durán from the Twins to the Phillies, Ryan Helsley from the Cardinals to the Mets, Tyler Rogers from the Giants to the Mets, and more.

The Sox are open to bullpen upgrades. They’ve received solid relief work this season, with a 3.37 bullpen ERA (fourth best in baseball), but a modest 22 percent strikeout rate (15th) and 10 percent walk rate (21st).

While Aroldis Chapman has been overpowering throughout the year and Garrett Whitlock has been brilliant since his role shifted to single-inning appearances, there’s a degree of uncertainty beyond those two.

Lefty Justin Wilson has been great against same-handed hitters (.349 OPS against) but vulnerable against righties (.950). Both Greg Weissert and Brennan Bernardino have alternated stretches of brilliance with pronounced struggles while fatigued. Righthander Jordan Hicks, acquired in the Rafael Devers trade, has been unable to harness lively stuff with any consistency.

There’s room to upgrade the bullpen — but adding a starter seems like an even higher priority.

The rotation has performed as a middle-of-the-pack group, with starters forging a 4.04 ERA (16th in MLB) that reflects the uneven contributions of the group. Garrett Crochet (12-4, 2.23, 31 percent strikeout rate) is in the conversation for the American League Cy Young Award, and both Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19, 18 percent) and Lucas Giolito (7-2, 3.80, 21 percent) have been solid.

But Walker Buehler’s 5.72 ERA ranks 141st out of 150 pitchers with at least 60 innings this year, and Richard Fitts’s demotion this week underscored the lack of a No. 5 starter.

Major league sources said the Sox have been engaged recently in talks with the Diamondbacks about Merrill Kelly (9-6, 3.22) and Zac Gallen (7-12, 5.60), with the Marlins about Sandy Alcantara (6-9, 6.36), and with the Pirates about Mitch Keller (4-10, 3.69) — while also checking in with teams on less-prominent candidates (example: White Sox starter Aaron Civale) who could help stabilize the back of the rotation.

There are different considerations with the more prominent group of Kelly, Gallen, Alcantara, and Keller (who represent just examples of pitchers whom the Sox have explored — rather than a remotely exhaustive list). Gallen and Kelly will be free agents after this year; Alcantara and Keller would have multiple years of team control beyond 2025.

Kelly and Keller represent mid-rotation stability. Gallen and Alcantara had elite peaks but are amidst career-worst seasons — Alcantara while regaining his feel after missing all of 2024 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

The question of team control is no small consideration, especially on the pitching front and with relievers. Given the volatility of relievers, the Sox are reluctant to give up top prospects — particularly upper levels pitchers — for two months of a reliever, given that the pitching prospect might have a comparable chance of delivering a bullpen impact.

Last year was somewhat instructive. The Sox dealt for righthanded relievers Lucas Sims and Luis García. Both struggled, and in the deal for García, the Sox traded away a hard-throwing prospect (Ryan Zeferjahn) who excelled down the stretch for the Angels last year. (Zeferjahn has struggled this year.)

Meanwhile, controllable top-end starters might simply get priced out of the market for now. Late on Wednesday night, The Athletic reported that the Pirates likely were to keep Keller. There’s been little indication that the Twins will deal All-Star starter Joe Ryan.

Regardless, in a year with numerous buyers, the initial price of pitching is high. In recent years, those signs might have become deterrents to the Sox making aggressive moves for truly impactful upgrades. But with the team in solid position in the American League, the calculus is different — creating both pressure and possibility in the final hours leading to Thursday evening’s deadline.

Alex Speier can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @alexspeier.