Amid a 13-game win streak by the Boston Red Sox, the team has catapulted itself right back into the playoff race.
Once at the bottom of the American League, elite pitching and clutch hitting have brought this team back from the dead.
However, there are still needs on offense that this team needs to address.
First baseman Willson Contreras is the only player with more than 15 home runs on the team, with 22. But what if the Red Sox could add to the power department with a 30-home-run hitter?
Jim Bowden of The Athletic put together a trade pitch on Monday for the Red Sox acquiring Colorado Rockies All-Star Hunter Goodman for a haul.
Would The Boston Red Sox Do This?
Any team would make this trade if price were no object. Goodman is arguably the best catcher in the game. With 30 home runs through 92 games, many would question whether he is a product of Coors Field.
However, Goodman is performing well on the road too.
“In this proposal, the Red Sox get the big middle-of-the-order bat they need in Goodman, who is controllable through 2029 and arbitration-eligible next year,” Bowden wrote. “Yes, his home ballpark is Coors Field, but Goodman has been a much better hitter on the road this year, so his offensive output is no high-altitude mirage. He’s in the 96th percentile for barrel rate and the 88th percentile for bat speed, according to Statcast. Adding his bat solves the Red Sox’s biggest need and puts them in a legitimate position to make the playoffs.”
But would the price be too high?
In Bowden’s trade pitch, the Rockies would receive Connelly Early, Kyson Witherspoon, Marcelo Mayer and Carlos Narváez.
While that may be a touch too high for Boston’s liking, it may be worth it to add some much-needed thump to the lineup.
Would It Be Worth Doing?
Out of the three Red Sox rookie left-handed starters (Early, Jake Bennett and Payton Tolle), Early may be the most expendable. While Early has not pitched poorly by any means, it’s a testament to how well Tolle and Bennett have pitched.
Witherspoon is the wild card of this trade pitch. While he was a first-round pick who was a highly-touted prospect, he has a 5.07 ERA in High-A. If he can live up to his billing, this would be an excellent return for Colorado.
Meanwhile, Mayer has not lived up to his top-10 prospect billing. In 114 games across two seasons, he has slashed .223/.278/.346 with just seven home runs. He may need a change of scenery at this point with top prospect Franklin Arias approaching the majors.
Narváez will likely be included in any deal for a catcher this season, especially for one like Goodman.
While his rookie season in 2025 saw him hit 15 home runs and finish sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting, Narváez has struggled this year. In 55 games, he has slashed .200/.266/.294 with just three home runs and nine runs driven in.
Is it worth getting an impact player who won’t be a free agent until after the 2029 season? Sure! But does that mean Craig Breslow should pull the trigger if such a move is in the works? That remains to be seen.
Red Sox Trade Pitch Acquires 30-Homer Game-Changer at Deadline