The Boston Red Sox (29-39) are the second-worst team in the American League and things don't appear to be improving. The pressure is mounting for general manager Ben Cherington and manager John Farrell, which could lead the team to make some moves before the trade deadline.
But they probably won't be buying; they'll be selling.
The Red Sox have one of the worst offenses, defenses and pitching staffs in the MLB. They also have one of the highest payrolls, so it's going to be difficult for them to acquire more players to help dig themselves out of the hole they've fallen into. As a result, rumors indicate they could look to get value for some big names.
"The only proper solution for the Sox is to re-enact the Great Cleanse of '12, and fumigate the clubhouse again. Hanley Ramirez, gone. Pablo Sandoval, gone," writes FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
However, that will be no easy task - if it's even something the front office is considering. Sandoval and Ramirez inked long-term lucrative contracts this past offseason and their performances in 2015 likely haven't convinced potential suitors they're worth trading for.
"Purging [Pablo] Sandoval and [Hanley] Ramirez would be a greater challenge; Sandoval, perhaps, can be salvaged, but Ramirez in left field was never a good idea, and good luck to the Sox trying to persuade David Ortiz to retire and open up the DH spot at the end of the season," Rosenthal added.
Speaking of which, could they find a suitor for Ortiz even after his horrid campaign thus far?
"I can assure you of this: that question will never be posed to David Ortiz," said Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com when asked about the possibility of a trade. "He's going to retire a member of the Red Sox. They're not going to be moving him at the trade deadline."
Ok, well now that we've gotten the unlikely scenarios out of the way, let's take a look at the realistic ones.
"Rivals are starting to look more closely at Boston's roster as they wonder who could become available," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. "The most obvious possibilities would be Mike Napoli, Koji Uehara and Clay Buchholz, though the Red Sox would have to pay down Napoli and Uehara to move them, presumably."
Buchholz has really calmed down and now owns a 3.87 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 14 starts while Uehara has been solid with a 2.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 14 saves in 25 appearances. Buchholz has proven he's not really capable of assuming a role atop a starting rotation, but he could be a great asset for a club looking for pitching depth. He also has two team options for 2016 ($13 million) and 2017 ($13.5 million), which could be attractive if he finishes out the year strong.
As for Uehara, he's owed $9 million this season and $9 million in 2016, which other clubs would probably view as too pricey for a closer of his caliber. A deal for the right-hander would require much more work, just like one for Napoli would. The first baseman is owed $16 million this season (approximately $11 million the rest of the way) and he's batting just .204/.299/.393 with 24 runs scored, 10 home runs and 27 RBIs. He'll be another difficult piece to move, but it's still possible because other clubs could utilize him as a DH.
But back to the more whacky scenarios:
"Still, Cherington is cash-rich and prospect-rich; he can include money, include prospects, anything to make Ramirez and Sandoval acceptable to prospective suitors," Rosenthal concluded. "Every move Cherington makes should point toward Opening Day 2016, unless his team snaps out of it and somehow turns this thing around quickly."
It's unknown who is taking the heat for the team's woes at this point. If it's Cherington, then expect some trades to be made before July 31.
