Red Sox: Could Travis Shaw be dealt at the deadline?
The trade deadline is on its way and struggling Boston Red Sox third baseman Travis Shaw could find himself available for other teams.
After the weekend series victory against the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox are currently tied for first place of the A.L. East with the Baltimore Orioles. During the weekend series, we saw players like David Ortiz, Mookie Betts, and especially Xander Bogaerts put on quite a show hitting the ball. But there was one player specifically who didn’t do much and hasn’t done much lately offensively for the Red Sox. That player is third baseman Travis Shaw.
During the past 6 games, Shaw has gone 1-for-22 at the plate and throughout the entire month of June so far, he has a slash of .132/.175/.184.
Every offensive category is steadily decreasing for Shaw, which is surprising since his hot start in in the beginning of the season where he was once hitting .328 in the middle of May.
So if the Sox continue to be in the race for the division crown, they’re definitely going to need to get either a starting pitcher or a power arm in the bullpen for the second half of the season. With that being said, should Shaw be put in a potential package for one of the necessities?
Absolutely not.
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First of all, everybody has slumps. Some may last longer than others, but everyone gets out of them. During the last few weeks of the 2015 season and beginning of the 2016 season, Shaw was straight up raking the ball. He wasn’t called the “Mayor of Ding Dong City” for no reason. Once he gets out of his slump, everyone will fall back in love with the Mayor and he will be a key contributor to the Red Sox offense yet again.
You also need to look into the future. If the Red Sox decided to trade away Shaw, they would just make another task on their “to-do” list during this upcoming offseason. Once Red Sox legend David Ortiz hangs up the cleats after the 2016 season, you’re going to need a left handed power bat in the lineup. So why would you trade away the player that can fill that role perfectly next season?
Also, not only does Shaw have raw power from the left side of the plate, he can also play both corners of the infield, making him more valuable.
My last reason is what if the Red Sox decided to make current first baseman Hanley Ramirez the designated hitter next season? You would probably need a new first baseman, correct? A couple weeks ago, one option could have been to keep Shaw at third and then promote prospect Sam Travis to the Big Leagues. But unfortunately, Travis tore his ACL in Pawtucket, ending his season for good and slowing down his road to the show. That then leads to Shaw being the main candidate for the first base job if Ramirez gets moved to DH.
Next: Is Shaw part of a platoon?
There are just so many reasons why the Sox need to hold onto Shaw. Whether it’s his ability to hit or versatility on the field, he has the potential to be a star in this league and a key player for the Sox if they want to contend for a championship.