Red Sox could be trade deadline sellers instead of buyers
By Rick McNair
The Boston Red Sox should be buyers as the July market starts to fade, but how about a contrarian view of being sellers at the MLB trade deadline?
The end of July approaches and teams evaluate their talent and needs. Some teams are already consigned to also ran status so the inevitable rebuilding, or for Red Sox fans “bridge year,” takes place. Buyers or sellers? Today I will take the sell option and leave others with the buy option.
Time to sell. The Red Sox will have the opportunity to trade-off players and to get potential contract relief or prospect talent. Forget David Price, since he will only be found in the damaged goods bin. No GM will take on that contract with all the potential medical question marks, but others can be put on the market. Everything must go is a common sign for a business going out of business and this Red Sox team certainly appears to be going out of business.
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The most obvious player is Hanley Ramirez and his possible $45 million remaining for 2018 and 2019. Ramirez is either a designated hitter or first baseman and that limits his position options. If a team wishes comedy relief just sequester Hanley in left field and enjoy the consequences. Any return for HanRam would be a low-level prospect and possibly avoid the potential to contribute money to any transaction.
Where the Red Sox have an opportunity to actually get a prospect haul and by prospects, it is not flotsam, but legitimate talent. That means Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley. By now the sample is no longer small and they are defining what to expect. Bogaerts can hit – at least for half a season – and play respectable, but not dynamic defense.
Bradley can play dynamic defense and could be arguably the best defensive center fielder in the American League. Bradley, however, runs hot and cold, unlike any player I can remember. His cold slumps would freeze a penguin and when he is hot bullets fly off the bat. What Bradley has lacked his entire career is consistency.
Both Bogaerts and Bradley are young with some controllable years. Both play key positions that teams look for – strength up the middle. And both are replaceable. For Bogaerts it is Eduardo Nunez – if the Red Sox choose to sign him, or light-hitting Deven Marrero. Do not pass by Tzu-Wei Lin, who impressed with determined defense and gritty at-bats. Bradley can be replaced by Mookie Betts or a somewhat disappointing Andrew Benintendi. Free agency in the offseason certainly expands options.
Mitch Moreland can be a decent bat off the bench or relegated to the task of hitting primarily off righties. Moreland simply is inept against lefties so that is out. Moreland would bring little in return, but would open up an avenue for Sam Travis – the possible first baseman of the future.
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When your team, simply sucks just about anyone should be considered for shipment out and that means even Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia has had a superlative season defensively and offensively. His contract runs into the next decade and Pedroia shows no real sign of slippage. Why not? Like probably the entire team Pedroia will appear on the waiver wire – that is not unusual.
Teams hunger for pitching like an addict for a fix so what about Rick Porcello? He’s having a down season, or is he? From my view, Porcello is doing what he always has with 2016 being an anomaly season. A true inning-eater who will consistently take the ball and keep you in the game. Signed for two more years I would certainly expect some quality in return.
Virtually the entire bullpen is expendable. Heath Hembree, Matt Barnes, and hard throwing Joe Kelly have done well and teams need to bolster their bullpens as attrition takes a toll during the season. Offer up and see what the market will return. After all Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg will be here in 2018. Wink, wink and nod, nod.
Then you have the lefties, except for Chris Sale – I may be a bit deranged with this article, but not enough to put Sale on the market. That leaves Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez. Both have had excellent seasons – especially Pomeranz. Rodriguez clearly can be an upper tier rotation pitcher if he stays in one piece.
You put either or on the market, you would most certainly expect a bounty in return. Either could be a deciding factor in catapulting a team into the playoffs and both are quite controllable. For Boston, the glut of lefties could be diminished and the replacement is on the DL – Steven Wright.
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Wright – an All-Star in 2016 – should be raring to go in 2018 with a healthy knee. The next option is also internal and that is Brian Johnson. Johnson’s big issue is his shoulder that seems to be a perpetual issue. This season the lefty did quite well in his four starts for the Red Sox.
When a team goes sour just about everyone should be available. And this team is going sour.