The Boston Red Sox enjoyed a second half surge in the standings this past season, which brought them into the playoffs for the first time in four years.
And even though the team was eliminated in its wild card matchup with the New York Yankees, that progress seemed to be something the team could build on with some roster changes this winter.
The Red Sox have already acquired workhorse starter Sonny Gray in a significant trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. But now the team seems to face a hole in the position player group, with third baseman Alex Bregman returning to free agency and the team in clear need of a significant middle-of-the-order bat.
“The Sox want to add a top position player this offseason, whether through a reunion with third baseman Alex Bregman or another bat such as first baseman Pete Alonso,” Alex Speier wrote for the Boston Globe. “But even assuming they do, multiple sources suggest they’re open to adding an additional complementary position player.”
And with the Red Sox on the hunt for an infield option that can boost the batting order, Major League Baseball insider Bob Nightengale has reported that they are among the potential trade suitors for Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte.
“They have told anyone and everyone they are willing to listen to offers for their All-Star second baseman, who signed a six-year, $116.5 million deal last spring with $46 million in deferred money,” Nightengale wrote of the Diamondbacks. “They need help, and Marte is their most valuable trade chip. The Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays, who have plenty of pitching, are all on the radar.”
With a clear spot in the infield and a surplus of pitching depth, the Red Sox seem to line up well with the Diamondbacks on a potential trade to bring in Marte. And he would certainly provide a boost to the team.
Marte slashed .283/.376/.517 for the Diamondbacks in this past season, earning his second straight All-Star bid, a second straight Silver Slugger Award and a second straight year of Most Valuable Player Award votes. If the Red Sox are able to slot him in at the keystone with Bregman at third base, that might raise a question about where Marcelo Mayer will play, but that would presumably be a good problem for the team to have.
An upgrade like Marte would be the kind of move that helps the Red Sox build on their return to the playoffs with a deeper run, perhaps even World Series contention, next year.
