Seven Bats Red Sox Could Target Before MLB Trade Deadline

You can count on the Boston Red Sox adding some sort of bat before the 2023 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Why? It's the blueprint, as Chaim Bloom, the guy they pay to make personnel decisions, highlighted left-handed middle infielders as the archetype they plan on targeting.

That pretty much narrows the list down for us, as the rest of Boston's roster looks pretty dang good. The Red Sox have an above-average outfield in place, with Masataka Yoshida, Jarren Duran, Alex Verdugo, Rob Refsnyder and Adam Duvall all serving their roles well. The corners are set, with Rafael Devers, Triston Casas and Justin Turner all cooking after the All-Star break, and Connor Wong is set to be rejoined by Reese McGuire at some point to hold things down behind the plate.

That leaves Boston with a glaring need up the middle, as Yu Chang, Christian Arroyo, Pablo Reyes and Trevor Story (Boston's current post-deadline options) all batting from the right side of the plate.

With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the players the Red Sox theoretically could target at the MLB trade deadline.

Adam Frazier, 2B, Baltimore Orioles
Frazier, 31, is a fun option to look at should the Orioles be open to an in-division trade. He'll be a free agent at the end of the season and could be on the block due to Baltimore's youth movement. He's slashing a respectable .241/.304/.419 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs in 94 games and would be a pretty expensive rental, something Bloom isn't a fan of, but could benefit Boston greatly in a playoff run.

Tommy Edman, INF, St. Louis Cardinals
Edman, 28, is arbitration eligible for two more seasons before he becomes a free agent and is slashing .237/.303/.391 while playing Gold Glove defense. That isn't the type of player most teams would be willing to trade, but there have been rumblings St. Louis would be open to listening on Edman should it have a chance to flip him for a controlled starter. Bloom is intent on adding guys under control, and this might be the best option available for guys who are under arbitration.

Paul DeJong, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
Another Cardinals infielder? Why not? DeJong will be the odd-man out in St. Louis, as Jeff Passan of ESPN has reported that he'll be traded by the deadline. The 29-year-old is slashing .238/.304/.424 with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs in 77 games, and has two club options in his contract. He's not a flashy add, but he's consistent and would bridge the gap at second base for the eventual arrival of one of Boston's top prospects.

Mauricio Dubón, 2B, Houston Astros
How about a reunion? Dubon, 29, was traded by the Red Sox to the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2016, never quite reaching the majors in Boston. In the time since departing, he's been nothing but solid -- putting together a career-year from the plate during Jose Altuve's extended absence in 2023. He's slashing .264/.288/.374 this season with 18 doubles, playing incredible defense at second base. He is under control for three more seasons, and would be the perfect compliment to an eventual pairing of Trevor Story at shortstop and a starting-caliber second baseman.

Nick Senzel, UTI, Cincinnati Reds
Senzel can do nearly everything, but has seen his playing time decrease due to the emergence of Elly De La Cruz. Why? He doesn't do anything exceptionally well. This would cost Boston relatively nothing for above-average production at second base.

Jurickson Profar, UTI, Colorado Rockies
Profar checks all of the Red Sox's boxes. He bats from both sides of the plate, can play both middle infield positions, hits for power and won't handicap them from making any other moves. He is making a nice chunk of change this season, but this is a swing in Boston's wheelhouse.

Tim Anderson, INF, Chicago White Sox
This one isn't, but couldn't be left off the list. Anderson is having a rough season for the White Sox and is almost certain to be traded. Anderson is hitting a career-low .245 with 69 strikeouts and zero home runs in 319 at-bats this season. No thanks.

Jeff McNeil, 2B, New York Mets
Here's the big boy. McNeil is left-handed and has won a batting title, serving as the exact kind of hitter who could wear out the gaps at Fenway Park. He's under contract until 2026 and never makes more than $16 million in a season. If the Mets are truly intending on selling, he could be added fairly easily with a long postseason run in mind for the Red Sox.