The trade deadline is days away, but rumors have swirled among the Boston Red Sox for months. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has finally shared Boston's plans to buy, and its first move was to trade for lefty James Paxton soon after he was designated for assignment by the Dodgers.
But the Sox have more needs to attend to, including bullpen weaknesses and struggles against left-handed pitching. Breslow has specified that a reliever and a righty bat remain on his list of priorities before July 30, but the Red Sox need to make sacrifices to get them.
Boston's front office hasn't made many risky trades involving prospects in recent seasons, which means most of their moves will likely be minor or feature players from the big-league roster. The Red Sox have played so well since early June that any moves on the major league squad could alter the team's chemistry, which could be ill-advised.
The Sox don't have much longer to execute their vision. The deadline is just around the corner and many quality players have already donned new uniforms. Here are two players Red Sox Nation would like to see in Boston, and one move it doesn't want the front office to make.
2 trade rumors Red Sox hope come true and 1 they hope doesn't happen
Fans hope the Red Sox trade for Luis García
Adding a starting pitcher was Breslow's greatest priority and he traded for Paxton, a lefty with years of experience, to diversify Boston's rotation. But the Red Sox bullpen has cost it a few recent games and Chris Martin and Justin Slaten are on the shelf with no timelines for their return. Trading for a late-inning arm has become a new need for the Sox.
MLB insider Jon Heyman has named the Angels' Luis García as a top option for Boston. He's a righty and the Red Sox pitching staff is short on lefties, but Tanner Scott and some of the other remaining southpaws will be expensive choices.
García has clocked a 3.80 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 14 walks over 42.2 frames this season. He's been trending in the right direction in recent weeks though — he's posted a 2.76 ERA in his last 15 appearances. García will be a free agent at the end of the season, so the Sox should be able to secure his services for a reasonable price.
Fans hope the Red Sox acquire Luis Rengifo
Maybe the Red Sox can swing a two-player deal with the Angels. MassLive's Chris Cotillo has named Luis Rengifo as a top option for the Sox, but he's popular among many clubs in contention.
Rengifo has experience at second base, third base and shortstop — he boasts the defensive versatility Alex Cora likes in his players. He could shuffle around the infield to play wherever needed, or the Red Sox could platoon him and Vaughn Grissom at second upon his return to action.
Rengifo is slashing .308/.352/.432 in 73 games. He doesn't have much extra-base power, as he's only knocked 13 doubles, a triple and six homers, but his .380/.415/.540 slash line against lefties would still provide a significant offensive boost for the Sox. He also doesn't strike out much, unlike many of the Red Sox. Rengifo has only fanned 37 times and he owns a 94th percentile strikeout rate.
Red Sox Nation hopes Boston keeps Tyler O'Neill
Tyler O'Neill headlined many trade rumors involving the Red Sox when there was a chance they could've been sellers. Now that the Sox are hot and committed to making an effort, they should keep O'Neill around.
The outfielder is an impending free agent on a rebound season — a top-tier rental candidate for a club in the conversation for a deep postseason run. But Boston hasn't fared well against left-handed pitching besides O'Neill, who's owned lefties all season. He's slashing .333/.442/.710 with a league-leading 1.152 OPS against southpaws this year. His full-season line of .276/.363/.566 isn't bad, either.
O'Neill plays a solid outfield wherever Cora puts him. He's become integral to the team's chemistry, and messing with it when the team has played so well in recent weeks is dangerous. Rumors around the slugger have stalled since Boston went off on a tear in June, but soon-to-be free agents are rarely safe before the deadline.