The Red Sox are rolling, and that changes everything.
Boston has ripped off 14 straight wins and sits at 51-48, a surge that has the club in the middle of the Wild Card race and staring at a trade deadline where it could be a buyer. If this run keeps going, the front office should already be thinking about upgrades, especially at catcher, where the Red Sox still have a clear need.
That’s where Athletics All-Star Shea Langeliers comes into the picture.
Langeliers checks a lot of boxes for Boston. He’s been excellent at the plate in his second straight strong season, hitting .260/.329/.490/.820 with 18 doubles, 22 home runs and 50 RBI in 90 games. He also fits Fenway Park’s shape nicely as a right-handed hitter with a pull tendency, the kind of bat that can take advantage of the Green Monster for extra-base damage.
The catch, of course, is that Oakland has little reason to move him. Langeliers is under team control through 2028, which lines up with the A’s first season in Las Vegas, where they will presumably “start trying”.
Even so, ESPN’s Jeff Passan has the Red Sox listed as a top landing spot for Langeliers. He also put the odds of a deal at just 10%, pointing to the team control and the move to Vegas as the main reasons it’s such a long shot.
Still, Passan noted the A’s would listen, and Boston has the kind of pieces that could get their attention. Oakland’s offense is described as explosive, but its pitching staff is mediocre across the board. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have pitching in abundance, both in the farm system and on the major league roster.
That gives Boston a path to make a real offer without going overboard. Young arms like Jake Bennett and Connelly Early have already shown ace- and star-level starting potential, while Kyson Witherspoon and Anthony Eyanson stand out among the top prospects. A package built around pitching could give the A’s a head start on constructing a rotation for 2028.
Early and Witherspoon would be the strongest opening pitch, and Boston could work from there.
In Other News...
As Forced Into Another Painful Roster Shakeup After Brutal Injury Night
The Athletics were forced into another roster reset Friday, placing right-hander Mark Leiter on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement and infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on the 10-day injured list. Leiters move comes retroactive to July 19, while Kuroda-Grauers absence leaves Oakland juggling the infield after a rough night that added more strain to an already thin roster.
To fill the openings, the As recalled right-hander Hayden Juenger and infielder Max Muncy from Triple-A Las Vegas. Juenger, a recent trade pickup, gives Oakland another arm to lean on, while Muncy is back for another stint after being optioned earlier in the month, a reminder of how quickly the club has had to keep shuffling pieces just to stay afloat. [Read more 🡒]
Another A's IL Move Leaves This Thin Roster In A Tough Spot
The Athletics roster took another hit Monday when right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. landed on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement, a reminder of how little margin this club has as it tries to patch together pitching depth. Infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer also went on the 10-day IL after surgery, leaving Oakland to turn once again to the next wave of reinforcements.
Hayden Juenger and Max Muncy were recalled in the corresponding moves, but the bigger concern is how quickly these absences can stack up for a team already leaning on limited options. Leiters injury comes at an awkward time, too, with the right-handers availability and value becoming part of the backdrop as the deadline approaches and the As keep trying to hold the roster together. [Read more 🡒]
Jonah Heim Is Suddenly Part Of A's Deadline Conversation
Kyle Teels left ankle injury has already complicated the White Soxs catching picture, and it has a way of reaching beyond Chicago if the issue lingers. The uncertainty around Teels status has pushed the club to at least examine both internal depth and the trade market, with a few familiar names surfacing as possible answers behind the plate.
One of those names is Jonah Heim, who has suddenly become part of a deadline conversation because of where he sits on Oaklands roster. Backing up Shea Langeliers makes Heim look more movable than most catchers, and his expiring contract only adds to the appeal for a team trying to protect itself against a longer absence from Teel. [Read more 🡒]