Red Sox Trade Deadline Targets: 5 bats who can smash left-handed pitching
By Sean Penney
The Boston Red Sox could use a boost against left-handed pitching. Here are five lefty-mashers to keep an eye on as the trade deadline approaches.
The Boston Red Sox have a star-studded lineup that remains one of the league’s best but they do have their flaws. One notable issue plaguing this year’s team is that they’ve been exposed by left-handed pitching.
Boston enters the day tied for ninth in the American League with a collective .241 batting average and they rank eighth with a .726 OPS against lefties. They sit in the bottom third of the majors with a .307 wOBA and 87 wRC+ against left-handers, per FanGraphs.
The Red Sox rectified a similar dilemma last year by acquiring Steve Pearce from the Toronto Blue Jays in June. The deal proved pivotal to the team’s success, as Pearce did what he was brought here to do by mashing lefties and went on to earn the World Series MVP.
Unfortunately, Pearce is currently sidelined by a back strain and was a shell of his former self when he was healthy, hitting a mere .200 against lefties and .180 overall. If this year’s version of Pearce can’t fill the team’s need for a bat who crushes left-handed pitching then the Red Sox may need to hit the trade market again.
Finding a trade target isn’t as simple as identifying the best hitters in the game against lefties. The Los Angeles Dodgers obviously aren’t giving up Cody Bellinger and the Chicago Cubs aren’t putting Kris Bryant on the market. Boston doesn’t have the trade chips or room in their budget to add a star and they don’t really need one. We’re looking for a role player who excels at a specific trait who can realistically be obtained for an affordable price.
The second Wild Card in each league means more teams can consider themselves in the playoff hunt deeper into the season, making it more difficult to find a seller. Few teams, if any, are open for business yet but that will change as the trade deadline approaches. My targets come from teams I expect will fall behind in the Wild Card race over the next month leading to the deadline.