The Red Sox have given themselves a little breathing room in the conversation around the trade deadline, and that alone changes the mood. Boston still sits 12 games behind in the AL East and 4.5 games out of the AL Wild Card, but after sweeping the New York Yankees in a four-game series, the idea of the club buying instead of selling no longer feels far-fetched.
If the Red Sox do decide to act like buyers, the biggest hole is pretty clear: middle infield help.
That was the takeaway from MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, who pointed to Boston’s production at second base and shortstop as the most glaring issue. “The Red Sox have the lowest OPS in the AL at both second base (.619) and shortstop (.600), so an upgrade at either spot would help Boston in its quest to return to the playoffs,” Feinsand writes.
The rest of the roster has held up better. The rotation has been strong, the bullpen has been solid, Willson Contreras has been great at first base, the outfield remains steady, and the catcher rotation has done enough. Caleb Durbin is also starting to come into his own.
But the middle infield has been a problem, no matter how Boston slices it. Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer have both been part of that struggle, along with the other backup options used in the mix.
Story is hitting .206 with a .547 OPS and has been on the injured list since the middle of May. Mayer is batting .220 with a .594 OPS and is also on the IL, though only for a few days at this point.
Finding a shortstop upgrade could be difficult because the market lacks great options. One name that stands out is Luis Arraez of the San Francisco Giants, who would fit as a rental at second base thanks to his defense and elite contact ability. CJ Abrams would be the dream target, but the Washington Nationals are not expected to move him this summer.
For a team that looked much more like a seller a week ago, simply being in the buyer conversation is a notable shift. And if Boston does add, middle infield is the spot that needs attention first.
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Red Sox Suddenly Face A Tough Deadline Call On Resurgent Veteran
A bullpen-needy Texas team sitting atop the AL West is exactly the kind of contender that can start circling a relief market before the trade deadline, and Aroldis Chapman is the sort of arm that naturally gets mentioned. The Rangers have enough results to stay in the race, but their relief corps has lacked the kind of bat-missing stuff that can shorten games in October, which is why any available high-leverage reliever is going to draw attention.
For Boston, though, the calculus is not nearly as simple. Chapman has helped stabilize the back end for a Red Sox club that has made real ground in the playoff picture, and recent success has made it harder to picture the front office turning into a seller. If Texas wants to make a move for bullpen help, the path likely depends on Boston deciding the moment is right to listen, and that is no longer a given. [Read more 🡒]
Willson Contreras' Second Straight Ejection Has Red Sox Fans Fed Up
Willson Contreras found himself at the center of another ugly scene Saturday night, this time in a confrontation with Cade Cavalli that helped turn Cardinals-Nationals into a full-blown mess. After the exchange with the Washington pitcher, benches emptied and the umpiring crew handed out ejections, with Contreras, Nate Eaton and Miles Mikolas all sent off as tempers boiled over.
For Red Sox fans watching from afar, the frustration is easy to understand because this was Contreras' second straight game ejection and the pattern is getting hard to miss. The latest flash point came after a tense night against Washington, and it only added to the sense that the situation around him has become more combustible with each passing inning. [Read more 🡒]