One of the biggest recent storylines for the Boston Red Sox has been David Hamilton's turnaround.
The young infielder struggled in his early games as Trevor Story's replacement at shortstop. He collected errors at a rapid pace and was one of the faces of Boston's defensive issues. His offense didn't compensate for his defensive miscues — he was batting .231/.296/.400 on May 22.
But in the past month, Hamilton has reinvented himself and emerged as one of the hottest hitters in the Red Sox lineup. He's slashing .323/.364/.484 with three homers in his last 30 games to bring his season average up to .288.
Hamilton's turnaround has been so prolific that he's earned trade interest. Fox Sports' Rowan Kavner named him as a potential deadline target for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Red Sox infielder David Hamilton could be a good fit for the Dodgers at shortstop
LA's shortstop issues have rivaled Boston's this year. The Dodgers hoped to use Gavin Lux in the middle infield, but his poor defense hindered their success. They pivoted to Mookie Betts, who hasn't been much better defensively. He hasn't played much shortstop in his 11 years in MLB, and his -4 outs above average show it.
Betts' bat is worth keeping him in the lineup for, though. He's slashing .304/.405/.488 through 72 games, but he recently fractured his hand which has taken him out of commission.
David Hamilton just keeps hitting. pic.twitter.com/c7i5vyxqg7
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 19, 2024
Hamilton's defense is slightly better than Betts' — he's posted negative three outs above average this year. The 26-year-old's bat has neared Betts' production in recent weeks, and he would give the Dodgers an edge on the base paths. Hamilton boasts 90th percentile sprint speed and he could help LA boost its league-average stolen base numbers. But more importantly, the Dodgers would be a much better team if Betts could return to right field, where he is an elite defender.
The Red Sox have been on a hot streak as of late. They took series from the two best teams in baseball, the Yankees and Phillies, then collected a rare sweep of the Blue Jays. The turnaround could turn the Sox into buyers at the deadline, and Hamilton was a huge part of Boston's offensive surge.
If the Red Sox stay sellers, Hamilton would be a good fit with the Dodgers. If the Sox decide to go for it, the speedy infielder could be a key piece to a late postseason push.