With the MLB’s All-Star Break finally upon us, there are only a few days left before the Boston Red Sox and the rest of the MLB shift their focus towards the trade deadline. If it wasn’t abundantly clear beforehand, the Red Sox will most certainly be buyers if they end up making a deal at the deadline. The market appears set to have more buyers than sellers due to some tight races around the league, but there still will be more than enough options available on the market for Boston.
One unexpected source of potential options is the Chicago Cubs. After starting out the season hot, the Cubs have cooled off mightily, and are looking likely to be sellers when the trade deadline approaches.
Despite their recent poor stretch, this Cubs team is still filled with talent, and they could really bring in some valuable assets depending on who they decide to deal at the deadline. They are already 8.5 games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central division, and aren’t really in contention for a Wild Card spot either.
If the Cubs do decide to blow things up, general manager Chaim Bloom and the Boston Red Sox should be on the other line 24/7 trying to strike a deal or two with the Cubs. Here are three players on the Cubs the Red Sox should look to swing a deal for.
Boston Red Sox trade target No. 3: Anthony Rizzo
Anthony Rizzo has come a long way since he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2007 MLB Draft. After getting diagnosed with cancer in 2008 and being traded away to the San Diego Padres as part of the Adrian Gonzalez deal, Rizzo never made his debut with the Red Sox. He would make the Sox pay, as he ended up developing into one of the best first basemen in the game.
Once handed the reigns to first base with Chicago, Rizzo was basically a guy who would hit at least .270 and smack 25+ homers for six or seven seasons in a row. That streak came to an end with the pandemic shortened season, as Rizzo struggled to get going at the plate for the most part, and only hit .222 on the season.
This season hasn’t been much better for Rizzo. He’s hitting just .247 with only 10 home runs, which is a far cry from his numbers during his prime. With Rizzo turning 32 in August, playing on an expiring contract, and going through a down year, Chicago would be wise to explore trade options for the veteran first baseman.
With Rizzo struggling, his price will be driven down, and Boston could look to pounce. They have struggled to get much production out of the first base position this season, thanks in part to Bobby Dalbec’s season-long struggles.
Rizzo is struggling too, but it’s reasonable to expect him to come in and be an immediate upgrade over Dalbec at first. He has a track record of being a great hitter, and the confines of Fenway Park suit his swing quite well. If the price is right, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to allow Rizzo to finally make his long-awaited debut for the Boston Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox Trade Target No. 2: Craig Kimbrel
After posting a combined 5.91 ERA over the past two seasons, it’s safe to say Craig Kimbrel is back to his dominant ways this season. Kimbrel has been absolutely lights out for the Cubs this season, posting a miniscule 0.57 ERA to go along with 20 saves. As a result, Kimbrel is likely going to be one of the most desirable pitchers available at the trade deadline.
Red Sox fans should be very familiar with Kimbrel after his three All-Star seasons with Boston from 2016-2018. Kimbrel may have left a somewhat bad taste in Boston fans mouths after he got rocked around for most of the 2018 World Series run, although it never really came back to hurt the team in the end considering they won a championship. Regardless, it wasn’t surprising to see Kimbrel depart after the 2018 season for Chicago.
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It’s safe to say Kimbrel made Chicago look foolish through the first two seasons of his deal. He only pitched in 41 games over the first two seasons of his deal, and even when he was on the mound he struggled mightily. It seemed like Chicago was set to be strapped to a useless Kimbrel for another season, until he put together one of the best comeback seasons in the majors this season.
Now Chicago finds themselves in a much better situation than they were in last year with Kimbrel. Kimbrel’s performance has made it so that they can atleast get something of value in return if they decide to move him, which seems increasingly likely with each loss Chicago endures.
Kimbrel’s return won’t be excessive however, given he’s already 34 and could be a free agent as soon as this offseason depending on the team option in his deal for next season. That means Boston should be in the running for the elite reliever as the trade deadline approaches.
Sure, Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino have been great so far this season, but you can never have too many options out of the bullpen. With guys like Matt Andriese and Brandon Workman struggling, having another weapon like Kimbrel that you can use in high leverage situations before the ninth inning would be a huge advantage for the Boston bullpen. It may be in a different role, but a reunion between Kimbrel and the Red Sox would be a welcome sight in Boston.
Boston Red Sox Trade Target No. 1: Kris Bryant
Sure this may be a stretch, but imagine the damage the Red Sox lineup could do if they added Kris Bryant to their lineup. The former National League MVP is having a much needed bounce back season after struggling through much of the pandemic shortened season, and has reestablished himself as an All-Star caliber player.
Due to his track record of success, and him still being just 29 years old, Bryant would charge the steepest price of the three players on this list. Still, Bryant is set for free agency this offseason after resigning for just one year last offseason, and seems set to depart as a free agent this offseason anyways.
As a result, Boston’s front office should be able to create a good enough trade package to land Bryant if they wanted to. The thing is, if Boston were to land Bryant, where would he play on the field?
The reason Bryant is so high on this list is not only because he’s the best player of the three listed, but because he helps the Red Sox in more than one way. Bryant could come in and take over the hot corner from Rafael Devers, and allow Devers to move to first base, a position that is much better suited for his current fielding capabilities.
Let’s face it; Devers has been a mess at third base for most of his career, and is already up to 12 errors on the season, which somehow isn’t tops in the league. A position change has been in Devers future for some time now, and making a move for Bryant could accelerate that process. It’s not that playing first base is easy by any means, but Devers responsibilities here would be much less than that at third base.
Not only is Bryant a superior third baseman than Devers, but he can play all over the field if needed, further enhancing Boston’s ability to play multiple guys at multiple spots. For reference, Bryant has played more games in the outfield this season than he has played in the infield. He’s also played 12 games at first, so if Devers struggles at first, just switch him and Bryant and call it a day.
Of the treasure chest of assets the Cubs could be willing to move, Bryant is the pile of gold that everyone wants. Sure, his price may be higher, but he offers the potential to solve a number of issues Boston faces by just showing up. The Red Sox haven’t been getting the credit they deserve all season, but they can really make a statement at the trade deadline by swinging a deal for Kris Bryant.