Looking at the Boston Red Sox's Biggest Needs Before the Trade Deadline

The Red Sox are currently 20 games over .500, and are in first place in their division.  In recent history, the AL East has been the best division in baseball, and this year is no different.  Theo Epstein will carefully look at Boston's needs and then make the appropriate upgrades to make sure his team wins the division. 

The Red Sox won't be the only team looking to add players though.  Tampa Bay will definitely be buyers, but whether or not they pose a real threat to the Red Sox can certainly be debated.  This division is so deep that there's a slim chance that the fourth place Blue Jays may even be buyers.

Boston has been the best team in the American League this year, but as with any team, they still have their weak areas. 

Catcher hasn't necessarily been a weak area for the Red Sox, but it certainly hasn't been a strength.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia is doing pretty much what fans expected of him: not much.  He's currently hitting .251 with six home runs.  Not terrible numbers, but certainly nowhere near great numbers either.  Boston should consider giving Jason Varitek the full-time catching job.  He has played a lot less than Saltalamacchia, but his numbers—a .252 average and five home runs—are probably more impressive, considering his playing time.

If Boston is in fact looking to add a catcher, which is yet to be seen, there are some power-hitting catchers who may be available. 

John Buck, Geovany Soto, Rod Barajas and Miguel Olivo are all hitting for power but not for much average.  Whether the Cubs are willing to part with Geovany Soto is yet to be seen, and it's not certain that the Mariners would give up Miguel Olivo, seeing as they're only six games under .500. 

Another option could be Brayan Pena.  It wouldn't be a significant upgrade, but it would be a decent move, seeing as how he is hitting .270.  However, the best option for the Red Sox may be Ronny Paulino.  Even though he has played in only 41 games this year, he still has an impressive .320 average.

Some people will argue that shortstop is the Red Sox's biggest weakness, but they would be fine if they didn't acquire a new one.  Marco Scutaro has been adequate, and Jed Lowrie will be returning soon from injury.  Boston will be fine if they don't make a change at the position.  

However, everyone knows how aggressive Theo Epstein is, and he may be looking to add one anyway.  There are a few teams who have premiere shortstops that could possibly be on the move, but it is not yet known whether or not these teams are willing to part with them.  Those players are Hanley Ramirez, Rafael Furcal and of course, Jose Reyes.  Whether or not Rafael Furcal can still be considered a premiere shortstop may be debated by some, but regardless, any of those three would be a big upgrade.

Some lesser ones that will probably be available are Jamey Carroll and Clint Barmes, both of which would be reasonable pickups.  However, the most likely option for the Red Sox is J.J. Hardy.  He is having a resurgent year and will be sought after by many teams.  Since Buck Showalter has taken over the Orioles, there has been some tension between his Baltimore team and the Red Sox.  It will be interesting to see if these two teams would be willing to work together to make a trade such as this.

J.D. Drew has endured some tough times while in a Boston uniform, but what he's going through may be the worst.  He has done absolutely nothing offensively and has fallen out of favor with the fans.  It looks like his time in Boston may be coming to an end.  If that's the case, the Red Sox will need a new right fielder. 

Fortunately for them, there will be a lot of good ones available.  An intriguing option is Kosuke Fukudome, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the Cubs don't want to part ways with him.  If Boston could land Hunter Pence, that would potentially be the biggest move of the trading season.  However, the Red Sox would have to give up an enormous amount of young talent, and it is uncertain if he's even available. 

Another right fielder that is quietly having a great year is Jeff Francoeur.  He is almost certain to be traded, and bringing him in would be a great move.  Even a better move would be acquiring Michael Cuddyer.  This would make a big splash, but the Twins have to acknowledge that they'd be willing to give him up first. 

However, the most obvious choice for the Red Sox is Carlos Beltran.  He is having a resurgent year for the Mets, and acquiring him would make the Boston lineup even more dangerous.  Another trade that wouldn't make as much noise but would still be a solid move is trading for David DeJesus.

Injuries have devastated the Boston rotation, and trading for a decent starter might not be a bad idea.  Josh Beckett is currently the only great starter they have.  Losing Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz to injury was a huge blow, and it is unknown when they'll be back.  Andrew Miller has done a great job filling in, but it would be a surprise to see him sustain that success for the rest of the season.  Alfredo Aceves has done well, bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen.  Tim Wakefield has been his usual self, mediocre at best.  Rookie Kyle Weiland was recently called up but didn't do too well in his first start. 

The situation with John Lackey has just been downright absurd.  He has arguably been the worst starting pitcher in the majors this year, with an ERA of 6.84 after 14 starts.  If he continues to pitch the way he is, he simply has to be moved out of the rotation.

Obviously, Boston could use another starter.  Carlos Zambrano could be a decent addition if the Cubs are willing to trade him.  An even better move would be to acquire Wandy Rodriguez, who has consistently been great over the past few years.  The Dodgers have a few pitchers available in Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda.  Kuroda is the better of the two, but Lilly wouldn't be a bad option either.  Carl Pavano could be a good move if the Twins are willing to give him up. 

However, the best move would be to acquire Erik Bedard.  His time in Seattle has been frustrating, and the Mariners may be looking to trade him.  Boston knows how good of a pitcher he is because of his time spent in Baltimore.

The last area the Red Sox could possibly use some help is in the bullpen.  It wouldn't hurt to add another reliever to shore up the front end.  Offseason acquisitions Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler have been very disappointing so far, and injuries have taken their toll on other players.  Kevin Gregg will probably be available, but it would be doubtful that the Red Sox would go after him after his recent feud with David Ortiz.  Trading for veteran Kerry Wood might not be a bad move, as he is actually having a very good year.  The Marlins have some good relievers that could be on the move in Edward Mujica and Randy Choate. 

Wilton Lopez has been great for the Astros the last few years, but could be on his way out of Houston.  Seeing as how the Dodgers are unloading, both Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal could be traded.  The A's have one of the best bullpens in the majors, but could be looking to trade guys such as Craig Breslow, Michael Wuertz, Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour. 

San Diego arguably has the best bullpen in the game and most agree that it's a done deal that Heath Bell will be traded.  If he'd be willing, the Red Sox could use him as a setup man.  Other nice options in the San Diego bullpen could be Chad Qualls or Luke Gregerson.

Obviously, this is all just speculation, but the Red Sox are sure to make some significant moves.  Which positions of need they pursue will be interesting to see.  This has to be an exciting time for Boston fans, as Theo Epstein will be sure to make a big splash at the trading deadline. 

Look for them to land some big name players that will eventually help them win the AL East and go deep into October.