The Boston Red Sox did well to bounce back from the end of their 15-game winning streak to come back with a win over the Blue Jays on Friday, but there clearly is still work to do. Boston has vaulted itself back into the top of the American League wild-card race, but has six teams within 4.0 games lurking behind. A winning streak got the Red Sox back into the postseason picture, and a losing streak could easily knock them back out. That makes this a critical trade deadline with a possibility of acquiring … refurbished Angles star Mike Trout?
It would be a fascinating move and certainly, though the Angels have held fast to the notion that they won’t trade Trout, they’re in a position where it would make considerable sense. The former three-time MVP is batting just .233 but has an OPS of .844 and 18 home runs. He is not the star outfielder he once was, but he can still handle center and right, and can DH. Most important: He is a righty.
Red Sox Made Moves for Mike Trout
Now, the potential for a Mike Trout move is not completely out of the blue. That’s because USA Today’s Bob Nightengale is reporting that the Red Sox have previously tried to pry Trout away from the Angels. He did not specify when–Trout was mostly injured from 2020 through 2024–but the implication was that perhaps they could try again.
Here’s how Nightengale sized up the Red Sox’s outlook over the coming weeks leading into the August 3 MLB trade deadline:
“The Red Sox, who are hunting down the Yankees and the Rays with a 20-3 record since June 25, now plan to be aggressive buyers.
“They’ve got plenty of money in the coffers after unloading Rafael Devers last summer, and have no hesitancy acquiring big stars. They made attempts to acquire Angels center fielder Mike Trout in the past, and this time have their eyes on Angels shortstop Zach Neto or shortstop C.J. Abrams from the Washington Nationals. They also salivate over the idea of having Shea Langeliers behind the plate.”
‘Position Player Group Has a Ton of Flexibility’
Now, the prevailing wisdom is that the Red Sox will target middle infielders and perhaps a catcher, as Nightengale pointed out, but according to team president Craig Breslow they’re not thinking that way at the deadline. They need a right-handed power bat, no matter the position. Breslow said the roster has the flexibility to take in players at any position. So … maybe Mike Trout?
From an MLBNow interview, Breslow said he would be looking to boost the bullpen but added: “When you look at our position player group, there’s no secret that we struggle to score runs at times, and recently we’ve seen some signs of life in the approach and what we’re able to do. The players deserve credit for that and our coaching staff deserves a ton of credit for that. Our position player group has a ton of flexibility. …
“So if we look to upgrade offensively, I don’t think we have to pinpoint a particular position in order to make that improvement.”
Red Sox Could Again Pursue Blockbuster Trade for Star Slugger