With six days until the trade deadline, the Red Sox are scrambling to land that second power bat they desperately need. Catcher looks like their best bet for an upgrade, but the options are drying up fast.
The top targets are slipping away one by one. Hunter Goodman, the Rockies’ two-time All-Star, probably isn’t moving – Colorado hasn’t pushed to deal him, and they’re asking for the moon from interested teams. Shea Langeliers was looking like a solid option until he tore his meniscus, which basically ends any deadline talk.
So where does that leave Boston?
They’ve still got some solid options that would be huge upgrades over their current platoon. Ryan Jeffers from Minnesota is having a monster year, slashing .293/.395/.535/.930 with nine homers in 46 games. He’d be a rental, but that offensive production speaks for itself.
For a longer-term play, Francisco Alvarez from the Mets makes a lot of sense. Yeah, he’s dealt with injuries throughout gus career, but he’s still putting up solid numbers – .262/.341/.450/.791 with 12 home runs this season. What’s really intriguing is that his swing profile looks perfect for Fenway, and he’s got three and a half years of control remaining.
Another name to watch is Ivan Herrera from St. Louis. According to MLB insider Mark Feinsand, the Cardinals are open to moving their All-Star catcher since they’ve got catching prospects ready to make the jump. Herrera’s slashing .244/.365/.380/.746 with 12 homers and has three and half years of team control left as well.
The thing is, catcher really is where Boston needs the most help. Getting a slugger who can consistently put the ball in play isn’t just a want at this point – it’s a necessity.
Any of these guys would do the job, and with the clock ticking, Boston needs to act fast.
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