Who could be on the chopping block for the Red Sox to trade?

Going into the 2019 season the Boston Red Sox have a full squad but still need to make moves. This means they’ll have to use some players as collateral to get what they want. But who should be in the discussion?

So here we are Fenway Faithful, days away from not only a new calendar year but a fresh campaign for the Red Sox. We all want 2019 to bring the same amount of success that we saw in 2018, but we’ll need to move some pieces to do so. Looking at the current roster there aren’t many that could get moved but if Dave Dombrowski is creative, he can make some magic happen.

If you ask any member of the Red Sox Nation what Boston needs to fix going into the next season I’m sure you’d mostly hear about the bullpen. And I wouldn’t disagree. The bullpen was our biggest weakness all season as on any given night they could be in shambles. So I’m definitely with everyone on that front, we have to bolster the bullpen.

We’ve got a major question mark with second base as well going into 2019. The health of Dustin Pedroia has been one of the biggest mysteries next to the Bermuda Triangle and the Loch Ness Monster. There doesn’t seem to be a set plan in place if Pedroia goes down again, at least that any of us have ever heard. So this is another major part of the puzzle we need to think about.

So with the roster maxed out at the 40-man limit, who has to go? It’s tough to get rid of a player on your favorite team. But this is a business and we’re in the business of winning. So who gets the ax?

Tzu-Wei Lin

Lin is a member of that squad that seems to be in place to replace Pedroia if something happens to the Red Sox stalwart. He’s played in 62 games in his two season with the Red Sox and has shown some glimmers of promise.

The reason he’s made my list is that the other members of the backup trifecta are Eduardo Nunez and Brock Holt. Both Holt and Nunez have more experience and have proven themselves in big moments.

Now that isn’t Lin’s fault as he’s still very early in his young career. That’s also why he is perfect for this list though. With his promise, ability to play second, short or third, and age, he’s perfect for a trade piece. His two-year stats at the plate are .256 BA/.348 OBP/ .380 SLG.

The downside is that Lin also has 34 strikeouts in 121 at-bats to only 17 walks. So some more plate patience could really add to the promise of Lin.

Being that we technically have 3 second basemen, two shortstops and two third basemen, Lin is expendable in this scenario. He could easily be shopped to teams needing a versatile infielder in order to get us a weapon for the bullpen or built into a package to get more than one piece.

I liked Lin for the few times we saw him in 2018 but he is a player that Dombrowski can use in order to add to the team in 2019 to make another charge at the World Series.

Eduardo Nunez

I’m going with another member of the second base sub by committee squad. Eduardo Nunez proved to be an asset this season in Boston but it also won’t kill the team if he’s sent away. Plus he’ll be a free agent after the 2019 season. So if we can trade him prior to the season then we won’t have to worry about losing him for nothing.

That’s the way I always analyze these trades and free agency. If the team can gain something prior to the player going to free agency, then that’s a positive. This would be one of those scenarios for me. Obviously, there’s always the chance he could re-sign but there’s an equal chance he won’t. No thank you. Holt is not only younger but more dynamic when in the game, he’d be my top choice as the heir apparent to Pedroia.

He’ll be turning 32 during the middle of the season in 2019 so his value is going down with each game. He did post a .265/.289/.388/.677 line at the plate this past season, not bad. In the same argument though he did have a staggering 69-16 strikeout to walk ratio that I would like to be a bit closer. But Nunez has proven his worth in 2018, not only coming up with hits when they were needed but also flashing the leather.

I think Nunez could be moved to possibly get a reliever or two. I’d actually prefer he trade him for some prospects as the Red Sox have destroyed their farm system with some recent deals. So if Dombrowski can either build up the current roster or reload the farm system that has been depleted, I’d be thrilled.

The Pitching Staff

This may seem counterproductive to what the Red Sox need as far as improvements but hear me out. Yes, we do need some arms to bolster the bullpen but we can use the existing arms we have to solve that problem. There are a couple of pitchers that I would be alright if Dombrowski dealt away in order to get better players.

The first for me is Steven Wright. Wright was a huge help to us over the years as he was always willing to jump in for a spot start or come out for relief. But the crux for Wright is the fact that he’s a Knuckleball pitcher. And as we all know, there is no true control of the knuckler.

You have one bit of sweat on your hand or the wind picks up just a tad and that thing is dancing nowhere near the target. So for me, as appreciative as I am for what Steven has done for Boston, I would be ok with him being sent away. I just can’t trust a knuckleball.

As far as relievers I’d be ok if we parted ways with them, I’d start with Brandon Workman. Workman is another one of those guys that showed promise and would have great outings, but it felt like I was yelling at my screen just as often. He’s only 24 so there’s plenty of time to get things figured out especially with a 6-1 record and 3.27 ERA in 2018. So the positives far outweigh the negatives, which makes Workman a great trade piece.

Wishes for 2019

It’s New Year’s Eve and that means a fresh start for everyone. It also means a new calendar year for baseball. At midnight I’ll be making my wish for 2019 and the Boston Red Sox and hopefully, it comes true. I’d love a repeat as World Champions, but I’m also realistic and repeating is one of the hardest things that can be done.

I’d love for the team to continue to build a culture based around youth and the enjoyment of the game. I wish for Dave Dombrowski to move his chess pieces and come away with a stronger farm system than what we currently have.

I also hope that we continue to see success from this squad in 2019, again I’d love it but don’t know if a repeat is in the cards. But I think we have the pieces and the mentality to walk away with another trophy in 2019.

This season was something for the storybooks from start to finish, it just felt like a fairytale. Luckily we will be roaring into the new year with a majority of the club coming back to do the damn thing all over again. I expect this team to defend their crown with every fiber in their being and they’ll be back in 2019 to do some more damage.