MLB insider's assessment of Red Sox at All-Star break should be a serious ego boost

The Boston Red Sox are red-hot after riding a 10-game winning streak into the All-Star break. They currently occupy the second Wild Card spot in the American League and are just three games out of first place in the AL East.

With the excellent performances of Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello behind ace Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox seem to have found a homegrown solution to their pitching problem. Their offense has been aided by the return of Alex Bregman and the surge of Roman Anthony in the wake of the Rafael Devers trade. Thanks to their recent play, they've gone from sellers at the deadline to surefire buyers.

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal is certainly optimistic about the new look Red Sox. Although he once thought that they needed another two starting pitchers, the emergence of Giolito and Bello has lessened that need. He also mentioned their abundance of position player talent and brought up trade rumors around Jarren Duran, which have certainly been circling.

As for the upcoming deadline, Rosenthal said that the Red Sox could use another starting pitcher, a first baseman and bullpen help — the latter of which is a requirement for nearly all playoff teams. He fueled Red Sox fans' optimism even further when he said that, "They are a team that, frankly, might be in the World Series if they make the right moves here."

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal labels Red Sox as World Series contenders

Despite their hot play and Rosenthal's high praise, the Red Sox will have to run the gauntlet in the second half of the season, with one of the toughest remaining schedules of any team. They'll also need to make smart additions at the deadline, per Rosenthal's suggestion.

The Twins' Joe Ryan has been routinely mentioned in trade discussions, particularly involving the Red Sox. Although pitching is no longer as much of a concern as it was before, you can never have too much pitching, and an arm of Ryan's caliber would be a welcome addition to the Red Sox rotation. Like Duran, he still has multiple years of club control remaining and therefore will not come cheap.

The Red Sox could also use help at first base. One of the most intriguing options is Josh Naylor of the struggling Diamondbacks. Arizona entered the year with high expectations, yet they've been extremely underwhelming. If they continue to struggle leading up to the deadline, Naylor could be on the move, and Boston will be a prime destination.