Six Players Red Sox Could Pursue To Help Solve Huge Third Base Problem

The hot corner has never felt so cold.

The Boston Red Sox are battling atop the American League East, yet they’re doing so with a huge hole down at third base, where several players have tried and failed to stabilize the position.

Pablo Sandoval was expected to be Boston’s starting third baseman this season despite an unproductive 2015 and missing most of 2016, but the 30-year-old has provided more of the same, setting in motion a revolving door that’s still spinning with the Major League Baseball All-Star break approaching.

Josh Rutledge and Brock Holt are battling injuries, while Sandoval is on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket alongside recently signed veteran Jhonny Peralta, leaving the Red Sox to rotate between Deven Marrero and Tzu-Wei Lin for the time being. It’s really no wonder Boston is dead-last in the majors with a -1.2 WAR from the position, according to FanGraphs.

No matter how you slice it, third base is a problem for the Red Sox, who have received less production from the position than any team in baseball. To fix the issue, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski might need to look outside the organization, assuming they don’t call up top prospect Rafael Devers. So, let’s examine some trade candidates Boston could pursue.