Trade Deadline Primer Excerpt: Boston Red Sox

The AL East is a tough division. It might get all three wild-card spots, but it might not, and in that case the Red Sox are trying to overcome either Toronto or Tampa Bay. Those are good teams, playing well, while Boston is bottoming out at the worst possible time, losing 15 of their first 20 games in July. It's hard to see the Sox giving up with a feasible chance at the postseason, but selling off a few spare parts would make sense.

Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom will settle for nothing less than clear-cut MLB-ready talent. This isn't a rebuild, but everyone likes controllable young assets. If you want to make a deal here, you're bringing players like Alex Kirilloff, Jose Miranda, and Trevor Larnach to the table.

Top Target
Nathan Eovaldi, RH
Starter Eovaldi's obvious upside has brought him through many of the league's top organizations – Dodgers, Rays, Yankees, Red Sox – but his potential has never been fully unlocked. Maybe the Twins will be the team that does it. At the very least Eovaldi is a respectable veteran innings-eater who can start a playoff game – if healthy.

That's no guarantee. He's recently been hampered by a back injury, which may render the topic of a trade moot.

Other Targets of Interest
Kevin Plawecki, Catcher
He's an experienced major-league catcher with a good defensive rep (and no bat), so it's obligatory we mention him with Ryan Jeffers down. The 31-year-old is on a 1-year, $2.25M deal.

Michael Wacha, RH Starter
He's looked good when on the mound this year, and the 1-year, $7M contract is sellable. But shoulder issues have sidelined him since June.

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Christian Vasquez, C
He's an impending free agent, and certainly a level above Plawecki. Would make for a crowded catcher group once Jeffers (hopefully) returns.

Sleeper Target
Rich Hill, LH Starter
The 42-year-old is still chugging along, while trying to fend off the ravages of age. He's currently working back from a knee injury but expected to be back in MLB game shape within a few weeks. When on the mound this year, he's been craftily effective, posting a 4.20 ERA through 15 starts. You can't get more experience than this at the deadline. Reunion, anyone?

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