Red Sox rumors: Major MLB Trade Deadline move would solidify title shot
By Max Bozicas
Isn’t it odd that despite how good the Boston Red Sox have been this entire season, it still feels like they could be even better?
The Red Sox are currently neck and neck with the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East standings. The Rays just made a big splash by acquiring longtime slugger Nelson Cruz from the Minnesota Twins. The Rays traded away two right handed minor league pitchers, Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman, in exchange for Cruz.
At 41-years-old, Cruz has aged like fine wine. He was an All-Star this season and currently has a .294/.370/.537 line. Adding his bat to the lineup is an insanely good move for the Rays.
The Red Sox now have a chance to answer. It’s generally agreed upon that the team could use another starter, but adding some extra reinforcement to the lineup never hurts either. First base is a particular question mark right now as well. Bobby Dalbec has not yet shown that he can be a reliable every day player.
Who should the Boston Red Sox target in a trade?
The Red Sox have been linked to Anthony Rizzo, who they actually drafted back in 2007. While Rizzo’s production hasn’t been meeting the hype lately, he’s still a worthy upgrade over Dalbec and shouldn’t command too much value.
As far as adding a starter, there haven’t been any specific MLB Trade Rumors involving Boston to this point. If the team really wants to reach for the stars, they could call the Washington Nationals about Max Scherzer.
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Scherzer wouldn’t come cheap, and his agent Scott Boras has stated that he would require an extension upon being traded for. That’s also assuming he would want to come to Boston, as he has a no trade clause.
It would go against Chaim Bloom’s philosophy to trade extremely valuable young pieces for an aging veteran, but Scherzer is a surefire Hall-of-Famer who is still performing at a high level. Adding him to the starting rotation could make the Red Sox the World Series favorites.
If the Red Sox decide to be more conservative, there are other options. For example, the hapless Colorado Rockies may potentially be willing to part with Jon Gray or German Marquez for a couple of decent prospects that wouldn’t totally hinder Boston’s farm system.
Next. Three players to target from the Minnesota Twins. dark
While the Boston Red Sox don’t necessarily need make a trade as the deadline approaches, it would only increase their chances at making a deep playoff run if they do. The AL is very competitive, but the Sox could distance themselves from the field if they can make the right deals.