It’s not quite the craziness the NHL experiences every spring, but when it comes to the Major League Baseball postseason, pretty much anything can happen. Therefore, it’s vital for playoff contenders to strengthen their rosters over the next few days prior to the July 31 trade deadline.
And the Boston Red Sox are right in the middle of playoff contention in the American League.
The Sox hold a slim one-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East, and the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t far behind, either. And Boston has some areas of need in order to maintain that position.
The No. 1 priority for the Red Sox was to figure out third base, and it appears they’ve done so with an internal and external move. The team promoted star prospect Rafael Devers to the majors, and he’s already hit a home run. Plus, the Sox acquired utilityman Eduardo Nunez from the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
However, don’t expect that to be the end of the rumors.
Boston has the third-best bullpen ERA in the MLB, but it has been tied to multiple rumors surrounding the top relievers on the market. It certainly doesn’t need a closer with Craig Kimbrel pitching the way he has, but almost every contender would like to add an arm or two to its relief corps.
And then there’s the issue of power. The Red Sox have the fewest home runs in the AL this season, and while they seem pretty set at most of their positions, they could use another bat with power potential. David Ortiz is irreplaceable, but the team has struggled to collectively fill that void since his retirement.
The Red Sox reportedly will finish the season with this lineup, but when it comes to power bats, the New York Mets’ Jay Bruce and Lucas Duda and the Oakland Athletics’ Yonder Alonso potentially are viable options, among others.
Finding a big bat on the market, however, might be easier said than done. The biggest names destined to move appear to be starting pitchers, with Justin Verlander, Sonny Gray and Yu Darvish leading the way. But there also are top relievers like Justin Wilson, Addison Reed and Brad Hand, all of whom have been mentioned as potential bullpen trade targets throughout the league.
The move that probably makes the most sense is finding some extra arm(s) for the bullpen, especially a pitcher who can reliably bridge the gap in the eighth inning before Kimbrel takes the mound. But the dark-horse consideration would be another power bat to help fill the void left by Ortiz’s retirement in the order.
So, let the rumors fly!
Thumbnail photo via Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports Images
