The Never Weres

One day away from the trade deadline and the once scorching Red Sox have cooled off quite considerably. Having won only two games since the all-star break the moves needed to make this team a contender need to be made and made fast. While there has already been some movement (James Paxton and Danny Jansen in – Reese McGuire and Chase Anderson out) there are still some holes in the 2024 roster that need addressing. We will get into them and how realistic each one is below. 

While Craig Breslow came out and said he’d like to add a bullpen arm and a right-handed power threat, neither of the two moves addressed either one of those areas. Below is our list of possibilities that could be wearing Red by the end of the month.

Realistic adds:

Mark Canha – The 35-year-old Tiger is currently slashing .231/.338/.351. While it is a far cry from his most productive season Canha does have the ability to get white hot and smash the baseball – A move like this to a middling Detroit team could be a cheaper option for the Red Sox.

Gio Urshela – Another Tiger, While Urshela is not producing much power (4 Homers). He does have something the young Red Sox value over everything – Athletic ability and can play more than one position. While this move would not address the power element to the team needs, this former Yankee could fill a role in bolstering team defense.

Amed Rosario – The former Mets uber prospect has settled into his career as a solid major league hitter and a good defender. Rosario is hitting a respectable .307 through 275 plate appearances. While there is very little power to be found here, Rosario’s name has been thrown around a lot this year when it comes to Red Sox additions. 

Justin Turner – An old friend. With the exception of the blistering hot second half by Triston Casas, Turner was by far the most consistent Red Sox offensive player last season. This year in Toronto he is performing at a much lower level than at Fenway last season. Maybe a change of scenery is what’s needed for the veteran third baseman. Although the recent deal for Danny Jansen puts the likelihood of another deal with the Blue Jays out of reach. 

Luis Garcia – The veteran Angels reliever is having a solid season out of the bullpen and has been discussed as a move for almost every contending team. While his ERA sits at 3.71 he has only allowed 2 runs over his last 14 appearances. 

Huge adds:

This section is a little bit more of a wishlist. Will they help the team? Yes. Will they cost you your extremely deep and high-rated farm system? Oh, Most Definitely!

Luis Robert – All 5 tools here. A 26-year-old that’s controllable, runs, hits, and plays defense. Would fit perfectly in between Devers and a returning Casas in the lineup for years to come. The White Sox are abysmal and need to reset their roster. Here’s hoping they start by trading us their franchise player. 

Garret Crochet – Speaking of the CHI-SOX here is another all-star stud wasting away on Chicago’s south side. The lefty fireballer is 25 under contract for the future and…oh yeah, throws 100. He is enjoying his best season as a pro leading the majors in strikeouts (160K in 114IP) and is looking to get stronger as his career progresses. Maybe all he needs is some Andrew Bailey magic and the next step is a perennial Cy Young candidate. 

Tarik Skubal – WAIT!? WHAT? If you are the Tigers, you should not make this move. Seriously, don’t do it. This dude is a stud and is set up to be an all-star for years to come. I couldn’t even believe he was being discussed as a trade piece. But since we’re talking about it… Skubal is 12-3 with a 2.45 ERA and 154 K’s in 130 IP. Except for strikeouts, he’s leading the pitcher’s triple crown. He would make any contender a legitimate threat and be a nightmare in a short rotation throughout a playoff series.

Brent Rooker – He is the power bat available. He is clobbering the ball currently at .295 with 25 homers and he plays on the lowly A’s. The return may be high but not as high as the others listed above. This is the move they need to make. A power bat under control that would provide instant results playing with the monster a short 310 feet away. I know I am speculating but…Duran, Devers, Rooker, Casas, O’niel is a helluva 1-5 to get through for any pitcher.

Let’s let the speculation begin. I’ll be glued to the MLB Network and MLB trade rumors for the next 48. Let us know who you think they should add in the comments.

Photo by Kim Klement Neitzel / USA Today