MLB Trade Deadline: 5 realistic Boston Red Sox trade possibilities

The Boston Red Sox sit atop the AL East as the MLB Trade Deadline approaches, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Pablo Sandoval is finished in a Boston Red Sox uniform, so third base is now a clear need as the MLB Trade Deadline approaches. Boston should also look to add help in the bullpen.

Here, I give my thoughts on five trades that the Red Sox could make before the deadline. Boston has been linked to these players at some point this season, so I’m not pulling anything out of thin air. The Red Sox have a chance to contend for a World Series title this season, as Chris Sale leads the way with David Price and Drew Pomeranz following close behind. Starting pitching is not a huge concern, though they could always look to improve there.

The Red Sox bullpen has not been terrible at all this year, but we all know that pitching wins games in the postseason, so you can never have enough depth.

Without further ado, here are 5 realistic trades that the Boston Red Sox could make.

5. 3B Yangervis Solarte (San Diego Padres)

While Boston would like to add a bigger star, like Todd Frazier, Yangervis Solarte could step into the third base role for the Red Sox. FanRag‘s Jon Heyman named Solarte as a possibility as an under the radar target for Boston.

The 29-year old Solarte is hitting .268 for the San Diego Padres with 10 homers and 28 walks. In the field in 2017 Solarte has played most of his games at second base. He has appeared twice in the field at third base though.

Over his career, Solarte has played third 300 times, his most of any position. On the hot corner he has just 27 errors in 478 attempts.

Solarte would not just be a rental for the Sox. He’s under contract through 2020, with a salary of $4 million, $5.5 million and $8 million over the next three seasons. The affordability and remaining contract length should interest Boston, but those also mean they’d need to give up a bit more for him. Still, keep an eye on Solarte over the next couple of weeks.

4. IF Jed Lowrie (Oakland Athletics)

The Boston Red Sox could reunite with one of their own former players in Jed Lowrie. He left Boston following the 2011 season, and has since played with the Houston Astros and Oakland A’s. While Lowrie isn’t going to impress much at the plate, he is still hitting a respectable .269 in 2017, while his on base percentage is at .335.

Lowrie has spent the bulk of his career playing shortstop, but he has appeared in 130 games as a third baseman. Overall he’s a .976 fielder, though that drops a bit at third. I believe that if Lowrie returns to Boston as the Sandoval replacement, consistently playing there will help him improve his defensive numbers.

Like Solarte, Jed Lowrie is also under contract beyond 2017. He is owed $6 million in 2018 before he becomes a free agent. At age 33 and with just one more season on his contract, Lowrie could be a player that Boston can land without giving up too much in terms of their farms system.

3. RP David Phelps (Miami Marlins)

David Phelps, a former New York Yankees reliever, could be a great addition to Boston’s bullpen. USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale reports that there are at least 10 teams pining for his services.

Phelps is on the middle of his 6th MLB season, which he has split between New York and Miami. He has already appeared in 44 games this season and he has a 3.45 ERA with 51 K’s. Phelps has had some control issues though, as he has walked 21 over 47 innings pitched.

Boston would likely not need to give up too much to land Phelps, which is a huge bonus. The team wants to hold on to their young prospects, while also aiming to contend for a title this season. Phelps’ contract is up after this season, so he would just be a rental at this time.

2. RP Addison Reed (New York Mets)

WEEI‘s Rob Bradford has reported that the Boston Red Sox have shown interest in Mets reliever Addison Reed.

There are a ton of teams gunning for Reed, but Boston should be right in the box to land the righty. Reed is in his 8th MLB season, and his 3rd with the Mets. He previously played for the Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Over his career, Reed has a 3.40 ERA, but that has dropped significantly over the last three seasons. In 2017 he has a 2.47 ERA over 43.2 innings pitched. He’s tallied 45 strikeouts while walking just 5 batters.

Addison Reed would be a tremendous player to add to the Boston bullpen, and he could be a piece that helps greatly in the postseason where many games are decided by 2 runs or less. Boston shouldn’t give up the farm for Reed, but he should be extremely high on their list of targets.

1. 3B Todd Frazier (Chicago White Sox)

Over the past few days, Todd Frazier is the name that has been swirling around Boston to play third base for the rest of the season. Frazier is not under contract beyond 2017, so this would only be a half year rental. With that, Boston would be able to hold on to every key player in their farm system.

Bob Nightengale tweeted Sunday that a deal is close between the Red Sox and White Sox.

During a recent telecast of the Red Sox-Yankees game, FOX‘s Ken Rosenthal said Frazier to Boston “seems almost inevitable.”

Frazier’s power numbers have dipped in 2017 as he has just 16 home runs compared to the 40 he hit in 2016, but he could benefit from a change of scenery. A new lineup that features Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia could mean greater numbers for Frazier. His bat would be a great fit and would provide  a boost from 3B that has been missing all season.

This season Todd is a .958 fielder with 7 errors at third base, which is right around his career average. His glove is not his strong point, but it’s also not so terrible to the point where you are worried about him being in the game.

Next: Could Jed Lowrie return to Boston?

The Boston Red Sox should definitely make one of these moves, and they could potentially make two or more. Look for Dave Dombrowski and the Sox to be extremely active over the next 11 days as the deadline approaches. Which trade do you think Boston should make?