Red Sox Rumors: Players potentially on trading block as deadline approaches
The Red Sox don’t plan on trading their young core at the deadline.
The MLB trade deadline is rapidly approaching in this shortened season, leaving the near future in doubt for several Boston Red Sox players. CEO Sam Kennedy insists that the team isn’t waiving the white flag despite a 6-13 start that has them sitting in the basement of the American League. While a decent winning streak could vault the team back into the hunt, the Red Sox realistically need to consider themselves sellers with an eye on the future.
Appearing on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Thursday, Kennedy confirmed that the Red Sox have had trade discussions with other clubs. Boston’s brass will listen to offers but the expectation is that veterans without a long-term connection to the franchise will be deemed expendable rather than blowing up the roster by dealing their young core.
“You look at this team and we still have a really young group of core players that you’d like to see with the Red Sox for a long, long time,” Kennedy said. “We’d never label anyone untouchable, just given the fact that sometimes to re-tool and restructure for the future, you do have to sometimes make difficult decisions, as you saw with the Mookie (Betts) transaction. I don’t think anybody would be untouchable as it were, but there are certainly guys who have grown up in the system that we’d like to keep with the Sox for a long, long time.”
Trading Betts to the Dodgers is all the evidence we need that nobody is untouchable but the circumstances of that deal are entirely different from the concept of trading their remaining young stars. Betts was on the verge of free agency and asking for more money than the Red Sox were willing to spend.
That’s not the case for the core they intend to keep together. Let’s explore which players will and will not be on the trading block as the deadline approaches at the end of this month.
Red Sox core we expect will stay
Xander Bogaerts is locked up through at least 2026 on a team-friendly deal that pays him $20 million per year. Rafael Devers will be arbitration-eligible next season but he’ll remain a bargain and under team control until 2024. These star infielders are pieces to build around who should still be anchoring the lineup at reasonable salaries when the Red Sox are ready to contend again. It would take a massive offer that Boston couldn’t refuse to pry either away.
Christian Vazquez has cooled off from his scorching start but he’s proven that last year’s power surge was no fluke. He remains well above-average for his position at the plate and a strong defensive catcher signed to a bargain contract.
If the Red Sox were going to trade star talent at the deadline, J.D. Martinez is the only conceivable option. His slow start isn’t likely to worry interested suitors and the change of scenery to a contender might revitalize his bat. Martinez could opt-out to test free agency after this season so there’s some risk that they could lose him for nothing if he’s not dealt now.
On the other hand, if Martinez has given them reason to believe he wants to stay then the Red Sox should hold on to him. This club obviously isn’t going anywhere this year but we expect them to bounce back within a year or two. Martinez is signed through 2022 at a reasonable $19.35 million per year if he doesn’t opt-out. The Red Sox won’t be able to replace anywhere near his production without spending significantly more money to fill the void his bat would leave behind. Unless Boston is blown away by an offer, Martinez stays.
These players might not be considered part of the core of star talent on the roster, but the potential upside, cheap salaries and years of control should keep Alex Verdugo, Michael Chavis, and Jonathan Arauz off the trading block.
Red Sox can’t sell low on the injured
This season has been a disaster for Andrew Benintendi and last year was no picnic either. He’s regressed in virtually every area of his game and now he’s sitting on the injured list with a rib injury. Fans are frustrated with his performance but selling while his value is at its lowest point would be foolish. The Red Sox still believe in his talent and he’s under team control for two more years. They have every reason to be patient rather than sell a player with his potential for scraps.
Cross Eduardo Rodriguez off the list while we’re at it. He had a breakout year in 2019 that would peak the interest of many contenders if he were healthy. Unfortunately, E-Rod won’t be pitching this year, eliminating him as an option to aid another team’s playoff push. Boston wouldn’t be able to trade him until after the season and even then, concerns about the long-term condition of his heart would depress his value.
Basically everything said about Rodriguez goes double for Chris Sale. He won’t help any team’s rotation this season, he needs to prove he’s fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, and he’s far too expensive for most teams to gamble on.
Not enough value for Red Sox to trade
Some players on the roster are considered expendable. The problem is that a contending team is unlikely to want them.
Matt Barnes has been a capable setup man the last few years. He goes through disappointing cold spells that frustrate fans but he generally ends up with a solid ERA in the end and his elite strikeout rate has some appeal. Unfortunately, his rough start to this season has spoiled his value. Barnes enters the day with a 5.14 ERA that won’t entice anyone. In a normal season, Barnes would have the opportunity to improve his value in a larger sample size but there may not be time before this year’s deadline to recover.
Jose Peraza signed a cheap, one-year deal that would be easy enough to trade but he’s done little to impress with a .263 average and .641 OPS. Teams in need of a versatile infielder to bolster their bench could inquire but the Red Sox won’t get much in return.
Boston could try to cash in on the hot start from Kevin Plawecki but most teams are smart enough to see that a .474 batting average in limited playing time is fools gold from a backup catcher with a career .224 average.
Let’s assume that anyone associated with the putrid Red Sox starting rotation has no trade value. Nathan Eovaldi might be the only exception based on decent results and upside, although the $34 million owed to him over the next two seasons is expensive for a pitcher who at best is the No. 3 starter on a contender.
No other starter on this team is going to get the Red Sox anything in return. Besides, if you think this pitching staff is unwatchable now, what will it look like if they trade away any of their starters?
Red Sox players potentially on the trading block
It’s the veteran role players signed for the short term that are likely to be on the trading block.
Jackie Bradley Jr. headlines that list. He’s heading to free agency after this season and the Red Sox have shown no interest in discussing an extension, suggesting they are willing to let him walk. Hopefully a hot streak at the plate can increase his value before the deadline but his glove alone has some appeal to contenders.
Kevin Pillar is only signed for this season. He would be a great fit for a team in need of a right-handed bat or a defensive upgrade in the outfield.
Mitch Moreland is a great clubhouse guy and fan favorite. It would be tough to part with him, especially since he has a cheap team option for next year. If his scorching start entices a contender to overpay for him though, Mitchy Two-Bags could be heading elsewhere soon. Boston’s farm system has plenty of corner infield options that will need playing time in the near future and a 34-year old platoon player isn’t going to stand in their way.
Contending teams always need bullpen help heading into the playoffs. That makes Brandon Workman appealing. A rebuilding team doesn’t really need a closer so if this is a lost season, the Red Sox should look to capitalize on his value before he hits free agency this winter.
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The Red Sox should clearly be positioning themselves as sellers at the trade deadline but they don’t have a lot to offer. Their best assets are ones they prefer to hold on to, which could lead to a quite deadline in Boston.