#5: Eduardo Nunez
Eduardo Nunez has been a key part of the Red Sox lineup for the last few years. He has been a good component for Alex Cora to call upon in the wake of Dustin Pedroia being unable to play. He’s also become a shot of lightning when he has to come off the bench as a pinch-hitter.
Nuni is only 31 years old so in the grand scheme of life, he is still very young. But with youth surrounding him in the infield with Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and Michael Chavis, there just isn’t much room for him. He is a great ambassador and mentor for the younger players but if the Red Sox want to remain in contender status for the years to come they have to get younger.
Nunez is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of this season and this is a key reason why I feel he can be part of a trade package. He offers great skill both at the plate and in the field as well as speed on the base paths. Nuni can be a bit overaggressive on the bases and will occasionally swing at an awful pitch but his pros far outweigh his cons.
He’d basically be a hired gun for a team that may be in need of a strong pinch hitter or veteran infielder as his contract expires come the 2020 season. Nunez can offer a lot to a team that would benefit from his services. I don’t think he could be a standalone trade piece but for sure could be used to bolster a package deal.