Boston Red Sox rumors: Mega trade proposal for Shohei Ohtani

Boston Red Sox gains in securing Ohtani

The pain for Boston in trading Devers and top prospects obviously would be severe. But here’s why it still makes sense.

First, Ohtani instantly becomes your number-one starting pitcher. With Chris Sale a question mark and the likely free-agent departure of Nathan Eovaldi, the starting pitching needs to be bolstered big-time.

Ohtani hurled to a 15-9 record and an impressive 2.33 ERA last season. He instantly becomes the Sox ace. Added to Garrett Whitlock who will likely start, and you have two great arms at the top of the rotation. Ohtani is a major upgrade to Boston’s starting rotation.

Then additionally, in a classic ” … two birds with one stone” move, the Red Sox adds one of baseball’s most feared sluggers to a lineup that is eroding faster than sand on Crane Beach in a hurricane.

At the plate, the slugger hit .273 with 34 home runs and 95 RBIs. After imprudently allowing Schwarber to walk, adding Ohtani helps fill in the gaping power hole in the lineup, a problem that will likely be exacerbated by the impending likely losses of Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and then Devers in this deal.

The Boston Red Sox would pay a heavy price to land Ohtani in trade. But the framework is there to get a deal done. Chaim Bloom is on thin ice. Another last-place finish and even the absentee Red Sox ownership would have to take note (the revenue implications you know).

It’s time to be bold and Mr. Bloom is the guy who has to make the dramatic moves to reverse the current fortunes of the once-mighty Sox. One thing is clear here, if you are going to fail then you might as well do so by going for all the marbles.

This offseason, that entails the Red Sox going all-in on two players to start, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. If you want to dance you have to pay the piper and that’s exactly what the Boston Red Sox should do.