Until very recently, the Boston Red Sox probably did not feel compelled to prepare a contingency plan in the event of a wild-card tiebreaker game. Hours before the 162nd game of the Sox' season, though, they're tied with the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild-card race, and wins or losses from both teams would require a one-game playoff.

So the Sox are reportedly looking to make a last-minute acquisition of a reliable starter to take the hill Thursday, if necessary. And according to Ken Rosenthal, one of the names on their radar is Royals lefty Bruce Chen.

Sources: #RedSox still discussing whether to get starting pitcher for potential tie-breaker. Among targets: Royals LHP Bruce Chen. #MLB

Rosenthal also notes that since Chen cleared waivers, he's a Type B free agent. He would be ineligible to pitch in the postseason, should Boston make it.

Chen, 34, has experienced a surprising resurgence over the last couple of years. After settling for a 6.93 ERA in 2006, making a brief and forgettable series of appearances with the Rangers in 2007, and being out of baseball entirely in 2008, the journeyman resurfaced with the Royals and righted the ship. In 2011, his ERA was as low as 3.26 in July before leveling off at 3.98.

Chen has not yet faced the Rays this season. In his last start, on September 23rd, he pitched eight innings of one-run, two-hit ball against the White Sox. He is scheduled to start for the Royals Wednesday night, so time for a deal is obviously growing short.

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