Top Outfield Trade Targets for the Red Sox

The rumor mill is beginning to turn and the trade talks are starting to swirl as the MLB trade deadline is quickly approaching.  It wasn’t too long ago that the Boston sports world was rocked with a last-second trade before the NBA deadline involving the Celtics and Kendric Perkins.  While no shockers of this magnitude appear to be on the horizon for the Red Sox, it’s a good idea to always be prepared.

Early predictions point toward a heavy push for Carlos Beltran to be in a Boston uniform by the time the July 31^st deadline passes.  His acquisition would undoubtedly be for the purpose of replacing right fielder J.D. Drew, who is in the midst of a woefully dreadful season.  The Mets, although not completely out of the playoff picture, should be very open to trade offers due to the combination of the staggering salary Beltran commands along with the complex financial troubles that have stifled the franchise. 

This move, however, does not seem all that appealing in my opinion.  This would basically be the case of one overpaid, oft-injured outfielder replacing another.  Additionally, the list of suitors who would be in line to solicit the talents of Mr. Beltran would be extensive and this would drive up the price needed to attain those services.  Therefore I am not convinced that the price tag would warrant what would be somewhat of a marginal upgrade and, for all intents and purposes, the move could potentially be reduced to a two-and-half month rental as Beltran’s current contract is set to expire at season’s end.

Another possible option worth exploring would be Houston right fielder, Hunter Pence.  While it probably would not be in the best interest of the Astros to trade away their lone all-star on the current roster, they are trapped in a downward spiral of futility and need to start stockpiling young, inexpensive talent to facilitate their rebuilding process.

 Pence, only 28 years old, is making $6.9 million this season and would be eligible for arbitration and under the Sox control for the next two years.  His numbers are vastly superior to Drew’s as he is batting .323 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs.  His offense from the right side of the plate would help balance a heavily left-handed lineup and he would settle in nicely behind Ortiz or Crawford, depending on where Francona places him once he returns from injury.  If the Red Sox are content in parting with some of the talent in their minor league system, this would be the type of player that would justify such a move.

The next potential trade target that Boston could be coveting is Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton.  Tampa Bay has surprised a ton of people and have exceeded all expectations to this point.  The series with the Sox this weekend could seriously effect which direction they go as the trade deadline nears.  Prior to the weekend series, they are six games behind Boston and 4.5 back of the AL wild card.  His game could be described as a sort of poor man’s version of the aforementioned Hunter Pence.  The 26 year old’s numbers aren’t as good as Pence’s but he would still be a considerable upgrade to Drew in several statistical categories.  His contract situation is the same as Pence’s as well with the difference being he is only making $4.825 million this year.  He also would remain under Red Sox control for two more seasons.  He is hitting .239 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs.

The one major benefit in Upton’s game is his speed.  He currently has 21 stolen bases and would add a good mix of speed and power to the bottom half of the lineup and he also bats from the right side of the plate.  The speed he possesses would also have positive contributions defensively.  There would not be very many balls that would be able to drop in an outfield manned by Crawford, Ellsbury and Upton.  The only potential snag that would make this a difficult deal to pull off is the fact that the Rays reside in the AL East.  Tampa would certainly be extremely hesitant to trade a player of Upton’s talent within the division and this would undoubtedly drive the asking price way up.  But don’t worry.  If that does end up being the end result, then I have one more possibility that may just be the best one of all.

As of today, the Chicago White Sox find themselves with a record of 44-48, -- five games back of the division and 10.5 games out of the wild card.  A poor showing in the next couple of weeks could not only push them out of playoff contention, but could also increase the availability of the most intriguing player for the Red Sox.  Carlos Quentin is a power, right-handed bat that could be just what the Red Sox are looking for as Drew continues to break down and fails to provide any positive, offensive production. 

While Quentin has had some injury problems of his own, he is hitting .251 with 17 HRs and 51 RBIs this season and was a legitimate MVP candidate just a few years back.  He is still only 28 years old and is making just over $5 million this year with one year of arbitration eligibility left.  While he may not provide the defensive upgrade that Pence and Upton would bring to the team, the price to acquire
Quentin could be substantially lower after taking all of the factors into consideration. 

Therefore as the clock ticks down and the countdown to the deadline begins, let’s hope this year’s moves lead to another late autumn run and yet another championship parade through the streets of downtown Boston.  Whichever way the front office chooses to go, it’s always an exciting time for Red Sox nation and this year should provide us with a few leftover fireworks to help launch us into August and into the stretch run.