The Red Sox have gone from looking like deadline sellers to acting like a team that wants in on October.
A month ago, Boston was buried in the AL East conversation. Now the club sits alone in the third and final American League Wild Card spot, and a 14-game winning streak is the biggest reason the mood has flipped so fast. That surge has changed the calculus at the trade deadline: Sonny Gray, Aroldis Chapman and Jarren Duran no longer look like names to shop, and the front office is being pushed toward adding help instead of moving pieces out.
One possible target, according to Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer, is Washington Nationals first baseman Luis García Jr., who is in the middle of a breakout season.
Rymer pointed to García’s role in Washington’s surprising year, writing, "They're [Nationals] 51-50 after averaging 96 losses per year between 2021 and 2025, and Luis García Jr. is an increasingly large reason for the turnaround," Rymer wrote. "He's already topped his previous career high with 20 home runs, 11 of which came in June alone.
And since he's 26 and controlled through 2027, the Nats don't need to sell high."
García, 26, would not be the cleanest fit on paper for Boston because Willson Contreras is already at first base. Rymer suggested the Red Sox could sort out the rest by moving Masataka Yoshida out of the designated hitter spot, with the only real complication coming later if Roman Anthony returns and creates a logjam with Jarren Duran in left field. Even then, Rymer noted, "But from the sound of things, the Red Sox shouldn't hold their breath on Anthony."
The appeal is obvious: Boston needs more thump. García had never hit more than 18 home runs in a season before this year, and he’s already at 20, which would put him second on the Red Sox behind only Contreras’ 22. If Boston is serious about staying in the postseason race, sorting out the playing time would be a problem worth having.
In Other News...
Nationals Bullpen Search Just Took A Sudden Trade Deadline Turn
The relief market got a little clearer for teams like the Nationals when Colorado moved Seth Halvorsen for a pair of prospects, a reminder that young, controllable bullpen arms can still draw real interest even with some risk attached. For Washington, which has been monitoring the deadline landscape, the deal offers a useful benchmark as it weighs what kind of return might be out there for relievers who have already reached the majors but still come with team control.
The timing matters because the Aug. 3 trade deadline is closing in, and the Nationals are still sorting through how aggressive they want to be in the bullpen. Halvorsens profile, with major league experience and upside but also some uneven results, fits the type of pitcher that often becomes a reference point in late-July talks, and this move suggests the asking price may not be light. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Fans May Need To Rethink Andres Chaparro Fast
Andres Chaparros late-season surge is starting to look less like a hot week and more like a real adjustment. Since the All-Star break, the Nationals first baseman has given the lineup a much-needed jolt with extra-base damage and louder contact, a welcome turn after his earlier major league struggles made it fair to wonder how quickly his bat would translate.
The bigger reason Washington has kept faith in him is that the underlying signs have moved in the right direction, too. Chaparros quality of contact has improved, the hard-hit balls are showing up more often, and the club has continued to put him in spots that play to his strength against left-handed pitching, suggesting the Nationals may be finding a useful lane for him just as his confidence is taking off. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Head To Colorado With One Big Lineup Call In Focus
The Nationals arrived in Denver with a familiar kind of road question hanging over the lineup, even as the numbers keep saying this offense has been one of the leagues best. Washington leads the majors in runs scored and has paired that production with a positive run differential, a useful reminder that the club has generally been doing enough on both sides of the ball to stay in games and create pressure on opponents.
Blake Butera said the group will lean a little more right-handed against Colorado, a tweak that fits the matchup and keeps the batting order in flux as the team settles in for the series opener. Andrew Alvarez is set to take the ball for Washington opposite Kyle Freeland, and with the Nationals still sorting out how they want to deploy the lineup in this setting, the larger question is how much flexibility Butera wants to show before the first pitch. [Read more 🡒]