With only the World Series remaining before the offseason, it's nearly time for teams around the league to confront the underhwelm of this year's free agent class. There are a few elite pitchers and great hitters on the market and their prices will be astronomical.
The Boston Red Sox haven't been willing to go that far on the free agent market in this years. After last year when they let Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber sign elsewhere, they probably aren't going to start now. But they also traded away much of their top talent and big league-caliber pitching depth over the offseason and at the trade deadline.
The Sox still have one clear, elite prospect in their pipeline: Franklin Arias. A few teams like the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies requested him at the trade deadline, but Boston held on — apparently not for a lack of trying.
Red Sox insider Jen McCaffrey on October 20 reported that Boston at the trade deadline explored possible Arias trades for a young, controllable shortstop (subscription required). This might not immediately make sense to some because Arias is himself a young, controllable shortstop, but there are some great options out there.
Red Sox considered trading Franklin Arias at the trade deadline, which could mean he's available this offseason
One that immediately comes to mind is Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds. The Sox reportedly approached the Redlegs around the time of the trade deadline about a deal, but the two sides couldn't reach agreement. Sean McAdam of MassLive reported at the time that there was no confirmation Arias was included in any conversations they had, but De La Cruz is one of few potential returns for Arias that makes sense.
CJ Abrams isn't worth Arias, as he has just two years remaining on his contract with the possibility of one being shortened by a lockout. Zach Neto isn't worth Arias, since Arias has a better eye, plays better defense and unlocked his home run swing this year. The Red Sox were wise to hold on to their No. 1 prospect at deadline time.
But that could change this offseason. Arias' value is at an all-time high following his career-best offensive season (.323/.400/.557 slash line, 25 home runs over 117 games between Double-A and Triple-A) and the Red Sox could revisit trade talks with the Reds or seek another elite player to swap for their No. 1 prospect.
Brandon Lowe, Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki and many of the other top offseason bats are imperfect fits for the Red Sox's roster in its current state. Trading Arias could help Boston find a long-term solution at shortstop, but there's no need to get too crazy — if Arias proved anything this y ear, it's that he can also be the answer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google