Just as the Sox are getting some of their core players back from injury, they are barely hanging on to the notion of a playoff berth. With Wednesday night’s loss in Oakland, the Sox lost a game on both the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays, pushing them 4.5 games behind the Rays for the AL Wild Card and a whopping 7 games behind the Yankees for the AL East lead. As Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe is constantly pointing out, there is a long way to go (67 games) and a lot can happen, but the Sox can not afford to continue losing ground against mid-to-low level opponents. With the trade deadline looming, the Sox aren’t clearly in the buyers or sellers category at the moment.
I am an eternal optimist and personally hate the notion of a fire-sale at the trade deadline unless your team is so bad there is no choice. Even when your team is that bad, is the best option really always to sell all of your players and start over? I’m not convinced. No matter how you look at it, the Sox will not be huge sellers even if they are out of contention in a week or so. They will most likely remain steady or look to add a piece or two to attempt and build for next year, or if they happen to crawl back into the playoff push. They are also getting a bunch of players back from injury over the next week or so and want to see what the real 2010 roster can do before making any major changes.
Regardless of the team’s status in a week or so, I think the Sox need to go after middle-to-late game relief help. It is pricey and in demand this time of year, but just imagine what a late-inning guy would do for this bullpen. For example, if the Sox were able to bring in Florida Marlins closer Leo Nunez at the deadline, they would instantly improve exponentially. They would then have 3 top tier end-of-game guys in Nunez, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, who could close out a tight game in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings. They would also have the flexibility of using any of the 3 in a closing scenario, if for example Jonathan Papelbon needed a day off.
The cost to bring in a Nunez or anyone else for that matter is high at the deadline with so many teams still in contention in both leagues. The price would likely be at least 1 top prospect, if not 2, and another middle-level guy, but if the Sox were truly thinking about this year and beyond, Nunez is only 26 and could be a mainstay in the ‘pen for a few years. There is a ton of what ifs and quirks with a scenario like that, I am fully aware, but just imagine the difference just 1 person could make on this team. The core of the team, when healthy, is as strong as almost any other club, except for the bullpen. Theo is the master of making the move right at the deadline (i.e. Victor Martinez last year), so I would be surprised to see him remain stagnant.
At very least, the fans and team need a boost. Getting injured players back is a start, but a fresh face would also do the trick and give fans something specific to see, especially if this year spirals out of control. This is the time to make the move and attempt to improve this team in 2010, but also in 2011 with a (cross your fingers) healthier squad. This is the time of year I am happy to have Theo Epstein as the Red Sox GM, because he is never afraid to move a big player (i.e. Nomar Garciaparra) if he feels it will benefit the club now and in the future. Let’s hope this year is no exception and Theo can pull something off before the July 31st deadline.