The Boston Red Sox made a surprise trade for former Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen on July 27. He's the first right-handed bat Craig Breslow has added to his squad, but the Red Sox need more powerful reinforcements to make a difference in the American League wild card race.
Recent rumors have linked Boston to Oakland A's designated hitter Brent Rooker to help mitigate some of their struggles against lefty pitching. If he were to be traded to the Red Sox, he would do just that — he owns a .284/.329/.662 slash line and .991 OPS in 82 plate appearances against lefties this season.
But a trade to Boston doesn't seem like it's in the cards for Rooker. The A's have expressed reluctance to move the slugger, as he's under contract until the 2027 season and he's one of the franchise's more recognizable players.
Additionally, the move would require a lot of shuffling from the Sox, to the point that it wouldn't be worth the effort.
As good as he would be, Brent Rooker doesn't make sense for the Red Sox
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Rooker is primarily a designated hitter, and although he has played the outfield in 2024, the Sox's outfield defense has been so stellar that it'd be unwise to make any changes. Alex Cora already does enough roster shuffling between Jarren Duran, Tyler O'Neill, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder and Ceddanne Rafaela that adding another potential outfielder into the fray isn't advisable.
If Boston were to trade for Rooker, it'd have to find something to do with existing designated hitter Masataka Yoshida. It'd be a challenge to find a squad willing to take on his salary and the length of his contract — the A's would be out of the question for such a deal, and the Sox would have to make another exchange to accommodate Rooker.
Oakland would likely expect a haul for one of its most talented players and the Red Sox have been reluctant to make risky deals involving prospects. Rooker is a skilled hitter who would help Boston resolve some of its offensive production issues from the right side of the plate, but a deal with the A's would be more work than it's worth at the moment.