The Red Sox are looking for answers in the infield and they may have found another potential target on the trade market.
Boston has question marks up the middle after Xander Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million deal with the San Diego Padres this offseason.
Trevor Story, the Red Sox’s big signing last offseason, was seen as the probable answer to play shortstop if Bogaerts left but the questions regarding his arm strength certainly are there to make it seem it’s not as obvious as it once was.
So, who then?
Elvis Andrus and old friend José Iglesias are the top names left in free agency, and finding help via trade always is an option, which chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has indicated. With the latest report, that very well could be in play.
The Athletic’s Chad Jennings wrote that the Red Sox have expressed interest in Marlins infielder Joey Wendle.
“One name that’s come up in trade talks, persons involved in the discussions told The Athletic, is Marlins infielder Joey Wendle,” Jennings wrote. “The asking price has been high up to this point, but the Red Sox feel that a left-handed middle infielder would be a good fit, and the smaller-market Marlins should have reason to move a 32-year-old who’s owed a projected $5.4 million in his final year of arbitration. The Red Sox don’t necessarily see Wendle as an everyday solution shortstop, but they do see him as potentially another piece of among a revolving and evolving list of shortstop possibilities.”
Wendle, 32, is a former All-Star who can play second base, shortstop, third base and some outfield. He hit .259 with three home runs, 32 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a .658 OPS in 101 games.
This comes a week after The Atheltic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Boston’s interest in Wendle’s teammate Miguel Rojas.
It remains to be seen what the makeup of the Red Sox will look like come Opening Day.
