Boston Red Sox: Five Realistic Blockbuster Trade Targets

Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox finished the 2015 season with a disappointing 78-84 record, and another last place finish in the American League East. General manager Ben Cherington has long since departed and President Dave Dombrowski is in position to make some moves to get an expensive–and talented–team back into postseason contention.

The Red Sox should be willing to make whatever moves are necessary to get their fan base invigorated by a winning team. The Red Sox had some good will built up after the 2013 World Championship washed away the nightmare of Bobby Valentine and loss of curse-busting general manager Theo Epstein, but consecutive last place finishes have left a region used to their baseball team being relevant in October disappointed.

While the winter meetings are still a month away, the buzz is building as the World Series has now ended. While there are a number of free agents who are likely going to be of interest to the Red Sox and their deep pockets, Dombrowski in his career has often preferred to wheel and deal and make trades to build talent.

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The Red Sox minor league system is stacked at all levels and the new management team in town has no attachment to any players on the roster. Whether it is young position players such as Yoan Moncada, Manuel Margot, Andrew Benintendi, and Sam Travis or ready to start pitchers like Brian Johnson, Henry Owens, Matt Barnes, and Pat Light the Red Sox are in position to offer trade partners exactly what they are looking for to restock their team.

Since taking over, Dombrowski and his assistants have been in evaluation mode determining what prospects are worth keeping and who to deal for established veterans In addition, he and his team has to be in evaluation mode of the other teams to determine which players to target.

Here are five realistic targets the Boston Red Sox should be targeting to obtain via trade and upgrade the roster this winter. While they may not be able to get all five, at least one of these targets could help bump the Red Sox back up the standings in 2016.

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