If it wasn't obvious before, it's definitely obvious after the Curtis Mead injury: the Boston Red Sox need to make another move before next week's trade deadline to bolster their roster and put themselves in a better position for a playoff push.
The Red Sox have turned into a solid team and look like they may be primed for playoff baseball in the midst of a red-hot July (18-4 record, tied the franchise record with a 15-game winning streak), but they still have some problems.
Boston is not a good power-fitting team (its 100 total home runs this season is the second-fewest, only ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers' 98), and its infield is a little weak, especially with the injuries to Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer.
Trading for Mead was supposed to greatly help both of those issues, but with him out for the foreseeable future (maybe even the rest of the season) due to a wrist fracture, the Red Sox are back to square one.
The Red Sox need to make another trade this season
At this point, Boston needs to be buyers. With roughly two months of baseball left, the team is 55-51 and owns the second AL Wild Card spot. A lot can still change, but they are in a good spot to make the playoffs.
But are they a serious World Series contender? Probably not. Trading for someone like Mead was never meant to fully push them into title contention, but it was going to bring them a lot closer to it. And with him potentially being a non-factor the rest of the way, the Red Sox need to dip right back into the trade market and see who is available.
So far, they have been linked to players like CJ Abrams, Jeremy Peña, and Zach Neto. All three of them would cost a pretty penny to acquire, but they can also all be game-changers on a Red Sox team in serious need of additional infield depth and offense.
The Red Sox have established themselves as a legitimately fun team that can make a solid playoff run. They have an elite pitching staff and an improved offense. Chances are they're not going to go on another 15-game winning streak anytime soon (although, I guess crazier things have happened?), but they're still a good team that can't be overlooked.
Right now, Boston's roster is decent, but the team and the fanbase deserve to see everything through in a maximized window. The Red Sox should look to further bolster their team by the trade deadline and try to shock some people in October.
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