The American League has been locked in a tight race all season and it was bound to result in higher-than-normal trade deadline competition. The Minnesota Twins sit in third place in the American League Central, but they're a game behind the third Wild Card spot (as of July 30). On June 28, Twins GM Jeremy Zoll committed to buying ahead of the August 3 deadline.
Minnesota's official stance as a buyer takes some key players off the market, such as 2025 Boston Red Sox trade target Joe Ryan and catcher Ryan Jeffers. The Sox have checked out the catching options ahead of the trade deadline, as they could afford to upgrade in that spot, but many of the best fits are unavailable.
Jeffers would've suited the Red Sox well as an offensive upgrade. The righty catcher is slashing .294/.399/.528 with nine doubles, a triple and nine home runs over 48 games this season (a relatively small sample size, since Jeffers was on the injured list from mid-May to mid-July recovering from a hamate bone fracture). He has a great eye and he's taken 27 walks compared to 32 strikeouts, good for a 14.2 walk percentage.
Jeffers can hit to all fields, but he also pulls the ball in the air at a rate of 19.8 percent. That's on the lower end of some of Boston's other trade deadline targets, including Zach Neto. It doesn't matter now, though — the Sox have to look elsewhere if they hope to sign a catcher.
Red Sox fit Ryan Jeffers no longer on the trade market could force them to pivot to Jeff Passan's proposed Marlins trade
MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN proposed a trade involving a catcher that should intrigue the Red Sox. The Miami Marlins are within reach of a Wild Card spot but many of their players are reportedly up for grabs, including shortstop Otto Lopez and catcher Liam Hicks.
Passan admits that a Hicks-Lopez trade would be expensive for the Sox, and he floated Marcelo Mayer as the start of the package. The two players have seven years of team control between them, so the Marlins' return would have to get much bigger but Boston has the pitching prospects to spare.
Hicks is a clear offensive upgrade over Connor Wong and Carlos Narváez, who have struggled with consistency in their careers. Hicks is left-handed, and while the Sox need righty bats more than anything, his power and keen eye are still beneficial. He's slashing .279/.358/.435 with nine doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, 37 walks and 38 strikeouts over 97 games. Hicks isn't the strongest defender, ranking below the league average in blocks, framing and pop time, but above in caught stealing above average.
Lopez fills the Sox's need for a righty infield bat in the wake of Curtis Mead's injury. He doesn't hit for a ton of power with just nine homers on the year, but his .329/.363/.490 slash line shows he's no stranger to putting the ball in play. He's also a great defender with six outs above average and seven defensive runs saved up the middle.
As Passan noted, Hicks and Lopez won't be cheap additions to Boston's roster, but both are controllable players in premier positions it needs. After solid catching fits like Jeffers and Shea Langeliers left the market, the Marlins are a great trade option.
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