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...
Padres Just Made A Telling Move Before A Defining Braves Series
After a lopsided 19-2 win over the Royals, the Padres are still sitting at 49-50, which is the kind of record that makes every roster decision feel a little louder than usual. San Diego responded by shuffling its pitching staff again, bringing back Randy Vsquez and Wandy Peralta as it tries to steady things heading into a stretch that could say a lot about where this season is going.
The next test comes against Atlanta, and the club has already lined up its starters for that series, a sign the Padres are treating it like more than just another midseason set. Even with the recent surge of offense, there is still a sense around the team that the margin for error remains thin, which is why these moves and this matchup carry so much weight right now. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face A Deadline Dilemma With One Young Arm At Center
With the trade deadline approaching, the Padres are being tied to the kind of pitching gamble that tends to define this time of year. Freddy Peraltas name has surfaced in speculation as a possible move piece, and the appeal is obvious from San Diegos side: a chance to buy low on a right-hander whose season has not gone the way anyone expected, while the market around him starts to shift.
The harder part is what it would cost, and that is where Kash Mayfield enters the conversation. The left-hander has quickly become one of the organizations more interesting young arms, a first-round pick from 2024 who has already reached the Futures Game and is working his way through High-A. For the Padres, this is the familiar deadline dilemma: whether a controllable prospect is worth surrendering for immediate help, especially when the other club may be ready to move on from a pitcher with no extension momentum. [Read more 🡒]