Why Buster Olney Believes Red Sox Will Acquire Anthony Rizzo

Anthony Rizzo began his professional baseball career in the Red Sox organization before going on to enjoy great success with the Cubs.

With his days in Chicago starting to look numbered, is there a chance Rizzo makes his way back to Boston?

Busty Olney, as he expressed during ESPN’s latest “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast, believes so. The veteran Major League Baseball insider predicted landing spots for multiple noteworthy players rumored to be on the trading block, and he likes the idea of the Red Sox swinging a deal for Rizzo.

“…They saw Tampa Bay go out and make that big deal for Nelson Cruz, to get that one hitter who’s absolutely perfect in the middle of their lineup,” Olney said. “And they’re (Red Sox) having a great season. They know they got Chris Sale coming back. He looks tremendous, but they could use some bullpen help and they could use some help at first base. Anthony Rizzo checks every box. He’s a left-handed hitter, which they need. He would help the defense, he would help the pitching and you know that his heart rate in October would be 60 instead of 160.”

The American League East-leading Red Sox currently don’t have many holes, but first base is one of them. Bobby Dalbec hasn’t been producing at the plate and his defense hasn’t been anything to write home about. It’s been a revolving door outside of Dalbec, as even the recently called up Franchy Cordero has seen time at first of late.

Rizzo isn’t lighting the world on fire this season, he turns 32 in less than two weeks and he’s on an expiring contract. If these factors and others allow the Red Sox to acquire the four-time All-Star on a relative bargain, it could be a move that further solidifies their World Series aspirations.