4 prospects the Red Sox need to consider using as trade bait this offseason
The Red Sox have a good amount of work to do on their roster if they really want to contend next season.
The 2023 season has been pretty brutal for the Boston Red Sox. After hanging around the fringes of the playoff race for a while, Boston's drop-off in the second half was so pronounced that ownership felt the need to fire Chaim Bloom before the season ended. Just ignore the fact that one big reason Boston's roster is the way it is is because ownership wanted to cut costs and focus on young talent.
There is a lot of blame to go around for Boston's struggles this season, but the question now is what is the path forward for a team that has both a lot going for it as well as some very obvious roster holes? There will be plenty of time to talk about free agency once the season comes to an end, but taking a look at the trade market and specifically who the Red Sox could use as trade bait this offseason seems like a good place to start the offseason conversation.
Here are 4 prospects the Red Sox need to consider using as trade bait this offseason
To be clear, this is not a list of prospects that Boston NEEDS to move this offseason. These are talented guys and no one should be upset if the Red Sox hang on to them for use at a later date. Also, pitching prospects were avoided in making this list because, well, the Red Sox desperately need pitching help in the majors. Throwing in a pitching prospect into a deal that nets a big league arm does make some sense sometimes, but the focus was on hitting prospects here to avoid accidentally making Boston's biggest problem worse.
Let's take a look at some of the prospects the Red Sox need to consider using as trade bait this offseason.
Blaze Jordan
Okay, okay....put down your pitchforks. Without question, Blaze Jordan has had a very strong season down in the minors in 2023. In 122 games this season, Blaze has slashed .296/.350/.481 with 18 homers between high-A and Double-A. Those are some big time numbers no matter how you slice them.
However, Boston is going to have to give up some real talent to bolster this pitching staff and in a lot of ways, Jordan is an expendable luxury. He has played third base, but isn't a good defender and Rafael Devers isn't going anywhere. He probably needs to play first base or DH, but Boston already has too many guys with that profile on their big league including young players Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida.
When you combine the redundancy Boston has in their organization right now with Jordan's numbers dropping off a bit in Double-A, there is a pretty strong argument that Blaze needs to be actively shopped around. Having too many good hitters isn't a problem unless a team doesn't actually use them and in Blaze's case, his best use for the organization may be to get a trade done for a quality arm.
Mikey Romero
Mikey Romero is a tough one because generally speaking, moving on from a highly regarded prep bat too early is a recipe for getting burned down the line. However, Romero could be a unique case where his value to another club (especially one that may have liked him before the 2022 draft) may be significantly higher than his value to Boston in the short and long-term.
Romero's numbers in 2023 haven't been great as he has posted a .580 OPS this season after really impressing at the plate last year. A big part of those struggles seems to be a recurring back injury that has cost him a bunch of time this season as well. The Red Sox shouldn't force a trade involving Romero as it would be selling low on him a bit. However, if another team is in love with him and it would net a player that could help Boston get over the top, the Red Sox have so much middle infield depth in the minors right now that they could afford to lose him.
Nathan Hickey
Every team needs catchers and ones that can actually hit are a luxury few organizations have available to them. However, after the Red Sox got a gift when Kyle Teel fell to them in this year's draft, offensive-minded catching prospect Nathan Hickey became very expendable.
Again, it is never a problem to have too many prospects at a given position, but Hickey is a unique case given that it is becoming increasingly apparent that he probably shouldn't be playing behind the plate going forward. In 2023, Hickey gave up nearly 200 stolen bases this season while catching only 22 would-be base stealers which is decidedly not great. He can really hit, though, and his .858 OPS this season is a testament to his ability to draw walks and hit for power. Sending Hickey to a team in need of a legit bat that has a slim chance of sticking at catcher could help get a deal done this offseason while Teel develops into Boston's catcher of the future.
Chase Meidroth
One thing that many teams are valuing increasingly highly in the modern game of baseball is versatility. Going into what should be a crucial offseason for the Red Sox, Boston should utilize the depth they have at middle infield in the minors and consider trading versatile infielder Chase Meidroth.
There is a lot to like about Meidroth at the plate as he has shown a real knack for drawing walks at a high rate and his hit tool over has been impressive in his first two seasons of pro ball. The power numbers have been fairly lackluster, but Meidroth still could provide a lot of value as an old school #2 hitter or a guy in the bottom third of a lineup that gives opposing pitchers fits.
The nice thing about Meidroth is that he has seen time at shortstop, third base, and second base in the minors. While there are plenty of folks that think he will need to play second if he wants to play every day, sending him to a team that values his positional flexibility and could move him around may be the best long-term plan especially given how crowded the Boston infield looks for the foreseeable future.
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