Red Sox rumors: Team scouted Royals' Hochevar

The Boston Red Sox have scouted Luke Hochevar, but have not directly engaged in trade discussions with the Royals about the righty, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Hochevar, 29, is earning $4.56 million, a high salary for a setup reliever with a mid-revenue team. He has one more year of arbitration left before he becomes a free agent. And while he is pitching well, the Royals are deep in right-handed relievers and could easily replace him.

The Boston Red Sox, a team searching for bullpen help, have had a scout following Kansas City the past week. They are interested in Hochevar, among many other relievers, but have not engaged in trade discussions with the Royals, sources said.

Hochevar was the first overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft by the Royals, but has struggled to establish himself in the majors. His production value has increased since being moved to the bullpen full-time. This season, Hochevar has a 2.00 ERA with 38 strikeouts and a 0.89 WHIP in 36 innings pitched out of the pen.

With their bullpen depth stretched thin, the Red Sox have been looking for help out of the bullpen. One of the names that has come up in trade rumors has been Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez, who was dealt to the Orioles on Tuesday night.

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