Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of failure to right the ship.
After winning the World Series in 2018, the Boston Red Sox went 108-114 over the next two seasons. The team was forced to fire Alex Cora after 2019, meaning Ron Roenicke was in charge of the sub-.500 club in 2020. However, Cora served his league-mandated suspension and returned ahead of 2021 to lead Boston to greener pastures.
The Red Sox now own the best record in all of the American League. How will this impact their preparations for the trade deadline?
Make sure to check out all of our other Trade Deadline Previews.
Current Position
Record: 54-33
Rank: First in AL, second in MLB
Status: Buyers
The Red Sox might not be the most aggressive team ahead of the July 30th deadline, but they will absolutely approach the event as buyers. Boston is in a position where it can watch how the market unfolds, then capitalize by trading for the most valuable and affordable players on the market. No team is perfect, and the Red Sox have run into some obstacles from time to time, so there is certainly area for improvement within this club.
Trade Candidates
Kyle Gibson, Right-Handed Pitcher, Texas Rangers
Gibson might be the top pitcher on the trade market this summer, so his asking price certainly won’t be cheap. With that said, Boston needs help in its rotation. Chris Sale‘s eventual return should provide a tremendous boost, but there is no guarantee that he returns to his old, highly dominant form. Regardless of how Sale performs, adding Gibson would be a major move for the Boston brass. The 33-year-old is 6-0 with a miraculous 1.98 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and .202 OBA this year. He’s walked just 29 batters and struck out 81 over 16 starts. Furthermore, Gibson is under contract through 2022, so he’s more than a three-month rental but will still hit free agency before Texas is competitive again. Perhaps he could be dealt in a bundle deal with the next player listed…
Joey Gallo, Outfielder, Texas Rangers
The Red Sox have looked very strong defensively as of late, but they’ve still been forced to rotate Kiké Hernandez, Marwin Gonzalez, and Danny Santana into the lineup on a frequent basis. Gallo would give Boston a more permanent fixture in the lineup thanks to his incredible power and ability to get on base. He may have a mere .234 batting average, but he owns a .391 on-base percentage; his MLB-most 66 walks play a huge role in this. He’s also launched 21 home runs, and the idea of Gallo peppering balls over the Green Monster is sure to make Red Sox fans salivate. As fun as this fit would be, he may be a tough get. Rumors over the past month have linked the 27-year-old to the San Diego Padres, who have proven they are willing to make deals left and right.
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Carlos Santana, First Baseman, Kansas City Royals
It’s no secret that the Red Sox are in desperate need of first help. Bobby Dalbec has been the main player at this position so far, and he’s just an average fielder with a rally-killing potential for strikeouts at the plate. The team has also rotated Danny Santana into the role, but his time in the majors seems to be coming to an end soon. Carlos Santana is a switch-hitting 35-year-old who is slashing .247/.368/.409 this year. He gets on base a lot, drawing 56 walks and 52 strikeouts this year. In fact, he has tallied more strikeouts than walks just once over the last six seasons. This would be a huge addition for the Boston Red Sox, though it remains to be seen how much unloading Kansas City will do this month. Santana’s two-year, $17.5 million deal runs through the 2022 campaign.
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