Boston Red Sox: Five Realistic Blockbuster Trade Targets
By Hal Bent
Chris Carter, 1B – Houston Astros
Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Sox are saying all the right things about Hanley Ramirez and his possible move to first base in the spring. However, all of those comments do not mean much if he is not on the team. It may look impossible to move Ramirez with all the money owed to him on his contract, but Dave Dombrowski has a reputation for being able to make any bad contract go away.
An interesting option to add power at first base is Houston Astros first baseman Chris Carter. Carter is arbitration eligible and seems to be that power hitter who is the proverbial late bloomer. The Red Sox struck gold 13 years ago taking a shot on a late bloomer named David Ortiz. While no one expects Carter to become a future Hall-of-Fame player, he does have intriguing power.
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Carter will be 29 years old in 2015 and the massive (six-foot-four and 250 pounds) slugger is arbitration eligible. A tease in Oakland for so many years, he has hit 29, 37, and 24 home runs in Houston the past three seasons. The knock on Carter is the strikeouts and batting average. For a team that has focused on power and on-base percentage, Carter could be a target in Boston.
Carter would give the Red Sox some serious right-handed power if slotted behind Ortiz in the lineup. An inexpensive and potential replacement for Ortiz at designated hitter, Carter could be peppering the Green Monster and launching balls to the Mass Pike without costing much in return. Some modest prospects could pry Carter from Houston.