Could The Red Sox Trade Saito Instead Of a Prospect Or Penny?

There have been rumors swirling about who the Boston Red Sox should trade or demote to make room on their roster for the return of John Smoltz from his minor league rehab appearances.

Most of the rumors are swirling around Brad Penny being traded or Daniel Bard being demoted.

But there is one other option that the Red Sox have considered, which would involve trading Takashi Saito for a hitter.

Apparently, the Red Sox had a trade in place with the Texas Rangers in which they would have traded Saito for Hank Blalock.

Unfortunately, with David Ortiz still hitting and Josh Hamilton undergoing successful surgery, the idea is nothing but a lost traction.

However, the idea appears to benefit both sides since the Rangers are in need of pitching and the Sox are in need of hitting.

To me, this idea seems intriguing now. The Rangers always appear to be a team in need of pitching and Ortiz's recent hot streak probably won't last long for the Red Sox.

So far this season, Blalock has 47 hits in 48 games. He's hitting .251 with 13 home runs and 30 RBI. The numers are decent, but not stellar.

Saito has a 2.42 ERA with two saves with a 2-0 record.

If this trade went through, it would benefit both the Rangers and Red Sox. The Rangers are a team with a desperate need for pitchers, while the Red Sox are a team with their not-so-desperate-anymore need for hitting.