Red Sox Rumors: Players potentially on trading block as deadline approaches
By Sean Penney
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?