The Red Sox have put themselves in a position where they can think big at the deadline, and maybe even think a little strangely.
Boston is rolling. The rotation is hot, the bullpen has been the best in baseball, and the results have followed: 13 straight wins, 18 victories in the last 20 games, and a 50-48 record that has the club sitting in the No.
3 American League Wild Card spot. With two weeks left before the trade deadline, the message is pretty clear - this is a team that should be pushing chips in.
That’s why the San Diego Padres are worth watching, especially if they’re willing to entertain a deal that would bring an old Boston face back into the picture.
The name is Xander Bogaerts. San Diego signed him to an 11-year, $280 million contract before the 2023 season, and now there are rumblings that the Padres may want to move off at least part of that money. Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that one question "being kicked around" is whether the Padres could get rid of Bogaerts' deal by including two-time All-Star flamethrower Mason Miller.
"One question being kicked around at Petco Park is whether moving Miller as part of a package that includes Bogaerts is a proposition too beneficial to pass up," Acee wrote. "It is practically a foregone conclusion that the Padres will eventually find a way to get out from under a portion of the $25 million they owe their underperforming 33-year-old shortstop each of the next seven seasons. If someone were willing to take on some of Bogaerts’ salary - and Bogaerts waived his no-trade clause - it might tip the scales."
For Boston, Bogaerts would fill a real need. The Red Sox could use a right-handed bat, and Bogaerts still has some offensive track record to point to.
He’s 33, has seven years left on the deal at a little over $25 million per season, and last year he hit .263/.328/.391 with 11 homers, 53 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 136 games. If he gets back to that level, he’d help this lineup.
And beyond the numbers, he spent years as a steady presence in the Boston clubhouse.
But the real prize would be Miller.
If San Diego truly made him available in a Bogaerts package, Boston would have to take a hard look. Miller has been the most dominant reliever in the sport right now, posting a 0.89 ERA in 39 appearances with a league-leading 25 saves.
He’s also under team control for three more seasons. Pair him with Aroldis Chapman in the late innings, and suddenly the Red Sox would be stacking elite arms on top of an already elite rotation.
There’s also a bit of history here. The Padres have previously shown interest in Jarren Duran, and Boston doesn’t have the outfield surplus it expected with Roman Anthony on the Injured List.
That doesn’t mean a deal is easy. It does mean that if the Padres put Bogaerts and Miller together in the same conversation, the Red Sox should be listening.
In Other News...
Trevor Story Suddenly Looms Over Red Sox Wild Card Push
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Story has been out since May 14 after sports hernia surgery, but his return is starting to feel close enough to matter in the standings conversation. A minor league rehab assignment appears near, though he has stopped short of putting a date on it, and once that assignment begins Boston will have a limited window before it has to make a decision on activating him. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Fans May Need To Take Gage Ziehl More Seriously
Gage Ziehl keeps giving the Red Sox reasons to pay attention, even if his path to Boston still looks like a longer-term project. The right-hander turned in another sharp outing for Double-A Portland, working five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and showing the kind of command and swing-and-miss stuff that can make a prospect start to move up the organizational ladder.
Ziehls rise is worth tracking because he has already been through a lot of movement for a pitcher still trying to establish himself. Boston got him this offseason in the deal that sent Jordan Hicks to the White Sox, and he had previously been traded from the Yankees to Chicago, so there has been plenty of roster churn around him already. He is not likely to reach the majors this season, but if the strong outings keep coming, Triple-A Worcester could be the next stop. [Read more 🡒]