The Boston Red Sox have made it a point this offseason to build around their young talent, rather than just waiting for them to develop into MLB stars.
They've made key additions in the rotation (Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, and Ranger Suárez) that should limit the expectations placed on top pitching prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Likewise, Willson Contreras' presence in the middle of the order should keep pressure off Marcelo Mayer from immediately replacing Alex Bregman's production.
Still, a lot of the offense seems to be hinging on Roman Anthony's continued ascension to superstardom, as well any contributions Mayer or even Kristian Campbell can offer while committing to new positions. Alongside catcher Carlos Narváez, that's four second-year players holding a lot of importance in regard to the future of the lineup.
Which is why the Red Sox actively need to avoid trading for Matt Shaw, despite what the rumors say.
Red Sox must treat Cubs rumors as Nico Hoerner or bust
Ostensibly, Nico Hoerner is the Chicago Cubs infielder Craig Breslow should be focusing his efforts on, but that's more or less a pipe dream at the moment. Once the Red Sox missed on Brendan Donovan, they likely lost their chance to add an All-Star second baseman from the NL Central.
Shaw is a former top prospect who can play both second and third base admirably, which makes him seem (on paper, at least) like a seamless fit with Mayer. That he's also a right-handed bat with some intriguing pull-side power only furthers his appeal to Boston.
And yet, he just isn't the kind of player the Sox should be targeting right now.
For one thing, 24-year-old's rookie campaign wasn't a banner one, as he hit just .226/.295/.394 (93 wRC+) through 126 games in the majors. There were prolonged slumps and even a stint in Triple-A to help him get his mind right; he did turn things around in August (.839 OPS and 127 wRC+) but then followed that up with a .688 OPS in September and a 30.4% strikeout rate in the postseason.
As yet another second-year player, his upside is tantalizing, but too much of a gamble for a win-now team like the Red Sox. Had this been a few years ago, such a bet would have been worth making. Now that we're established playoff contenders and in need of a veteran replacement for Bregman? Hard pass.