Red Sox: What if Boston never traded for Eduardo Nunez?

Eduardo Nunez in San Francisco

Nunez was getting it done while playing in San Francisco. They were not in the playoff hunt and with his being a free agent before the 2018 season, if they could at least get something for him it would be worth it. Assuming he kept on playing the way he had been earlier, then it made sense hypothetically that he’d be looking for a contract worth multiple years and worth a decent amount. The Giants were not looking like they were willing to make such a commitment.

Naturally the 30-year old utility player with the ability to play multiple positions in the infield and outfield was going to go to a team that was desperate for a third baseman. Welcome to Boston.

Nunez slashed .308/4/31/18 over the course of 76 games with the Giants this season. He drew walks and was also a threat to steal making him a nightmare for opposing pitchers. He wasn’t just the type of guy to only steal second base either, this guy could snag third base as well!

Before getting traded from San Francisco, his numbers only increased from July forward. Here were slash lines from the past two months:

May
Batting Average:     .307
Home Runs:              3
Runs Batted In:       11
Stolen Bases:           8
Doubles:                    7

June
Batting Average:     .361
Home Runs:              2
Runs Batted In:        8
Stolen Bases:           4
Doubles:                    6
July
Batting Average:     .354
Home Runs:              0
Runs Batted In:        6
Stolen Bases:           1
Doubles:                    4

Nunez was one of the best hitters as far as getting on base went. For the two prospects that it cost the Red Sox, one can only wonder now why Travis Shaw and three other prospects were required in acquiring the services of Tyler Thornburg. Shaw should have been plenty.

What has Nunez done so far since coming to Boston in both the tale end of July and the first week of August? Before we discuss his stats in Boston, we’ll go over the prospects the Giants got as part of the deal for Nunez. We’ll see if it looks like the Red Sox botched the deal or made out in it.