The Red Sox made an initial strike on the trade market this weekend when they made the 1-for-1 deal that sent lefty starter Connelly Early to the Nationals for breakout star Curtis Mead. It appears they aren't done, either. Here's what we're hearing on Boston's plans ahead of the trade deadline, which is Monday (August 3) at 6 p.m. ET.
º The Red Sox are keeping an open mind ahead of Monday, but according to major league officials, they're targeting three main needs. First, the club — like every contender this time of year — is interested in adding pitching depth, not just at the back end of the rotation but also in the bullpen. Secondly, catching upgrades remain on the table. Lastly — and perhaps most surprisingly — the club is in the shortstop market.
The addition of Mead at second base hasn't stopped Breslow from continuing to look for an infield bat and one rival evaluator said the belief is that the Red Sox are looking for a "long-term" option at shortstop. The market is rich with big-name candidates who may or may not move, including the Angels' Zach Neto, Houston's Jeremy Peña, the Mets' Francisco Lindor and Washington's C.J. Abrams. Considering the potential pending lockout — and a very poor position player class in free agency this winter — Boston may be looking at this deadline as an opportunity to settle that position.
That search comes with its complications. Landing a shortstop would signal the Red Sox waving the white flag on Trevor Story, whose Red Sox tenure has been defined by injuries but also a massive amount of respect for the leadership he brings. Adding Mead and a shortstop makes the pathway to regular at-bats much less clear for Marcelo Mayer moving forward. And perhaps most strikingly, it further clogs the pipes ahead of the arrival of top prospect Franklin Arias, who was just promoted to Triple-A.
"Not sure why (they're in that market) with Arias coming," said one rival scout.
#market #mead
º The Red Sox are keeping an open mind ahead of Monday, but according to major league officials, they're targeting three main needs. First, the club — like every contender this time of year — is interested in adding pitching depth, not just at the back end of the rotation but also in the bullpen. Secondly, catching upgrades remain on the table. Lastly — and perhaps most surprisingly — the club is in the shortstop market.
The addition of Mead at second base hasn't stopped Breslow from continuing to look for an infield bat and one rival evaluator said the belief is that the Red Sox are looking for a "long-term" option at shortstop. The market is rich with big-name candidates who may or may not move, including the Angels' Zach Neto, Houston's Jeremy Peña, the Mets' Francisco Lindor and Washington's C.J. Abrams. Considering the potential pending lockout — and a very poor position player class in free agency this winter — Boston may be looking at this deadline as an opportunity to settle that position.
That search comes with its complications. Landing a shortstop would signal the Red Sox waving the white flag on Trevor Story, whose Red Sox tenure has been defined by injuries but also a massive amount of respect for the leadership he brings. Adding Mead and a shortstop makes the pathway to regular at-bats much less clear for Marcelo Mayer moving forward. And perhaps most strikingly, it further clogs the pipes ahead of the arrival of top prospect Franklin Arias, who was just promoted to Triple-A.
"Not sure why (they're in that market) with Arias coming," said one rival scout.
#market #mead
7 hours ago
