Kenley Jansen Believes Red Sox Have These ‘Obvious’ Needs

Kenley Jansen believes you don’t need to be a baseball expert to identify how the Red Sox should improve their roster for the back end of the season.

Few likely expected Boston to be a buyer at this year’s trade deadline, and that expectation probably was strengthened when the club started to pile up injuries to key players. But the resilient Red Sox have battled through adversity and stand squarely in the playoff picture, thus creating a realistic scenario where Craig Breslow and company bring in new players before July 30.

As for the type of additions, Jansen believes the answers are pretty straightforward.

“It’s obvious what we need,” Boston’s closer told Rob Bradford on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, as transcribed by WEEI. “It’s obvious we need a right-handed bat. It’s obvious we need a starter or two. And we’ll compete against anybody.”

Who could address those needs for Boston? The Athletic MLB insider Ken Rosenthal identified the Los Angeles Angels’ Luis Rengifo as a potential target, especially since the middle infielder is not on an expiring contract. ESPN’s David Schoenfeld, meanwhile, believes Toronto Blue Jays southpaw Yusei Kikuchi could be a realistic starting pitching boost for Boston.

Time will tell if the Red Sox seek out solutions for those needs or any others. However, team president Sam Kennedy on Wednesday stressed the club “without question” will buy if the right deal(s) is available.