The Boston Red Sox are still searching for infield reinforcements as the trade deadline closes in, especially after Curtis Mead's injury. But their infield is so packed with depth players that some will have to be moved, possibly via trade, to accommodate new players.
According to Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive, some of Boston's infield depth players could be on the move, including Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Anthony Seigler, Tsung-Che Cheng, Nick Sogard and Andruw Monasterio (subscription required). Each player has had their moments for the Sox, including some during the 15-game winning streak.
But one player has stood out above the rest as he's continued his offensive success throughout the entire month of July, and that's Monasterio. He may be too hot to move at the trade deadline, especially since the Sox's offense has regressed in the last few days.
Monasterio has been the talk of Red Sox Nation after his July 29 performance against the Athletics. Boston's bats have crashed back down to where they were early in the season — the Sox struck out 12 times, went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base against a bunch of four-to-five ERA pitchers. Monasterio came through with a 10th-inning, two-run homer when no one else could.
Andruw Monasterio may be too hot for the Red Sox to trade before the deadline
Monasterio has been one of Boston's hottest bats all month, to the tune of a .357/.439/.679 slash line, seven doubles, a triple and three home runs. After a down month in June and middling offense in every month before, the infielder has recently established himself as a key bat in the Sox's lineup, especially because Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras are in serious funks as the trade deadline approaches.
Some fans will argue that this is the best time to trade Monasterio, as his value has probably jumped a bit due to his recent success. But the Red Sox have seen what a timely hot streak can do for a team and trading their hottest hitter could drastically change the pace of the offense. Monasterio is also one of the personalities of the team and trading him might change the vibes in the dugout.
The Red Sox have their eyes on multiple offensive upgrades, from Zach Neto to Otto Lopez and others. There's a good chance the new players come through the middle infield, which could slash Monasterio's playing time, anyway. But he's undeniably been a weapon throughout the Sox's winning streak and beyond, and this is a dangerous time of the season to part with someone like that unless the price is right.
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