Boston Red Sox: 5 Potential Trade Options to Give Offense a Power Surge

The Boston Red Sox aren't sunk.

At 28-23, they sit in second place in the American League East, three games back of the rival New York Yankees. If the season ended today, the Red Sox would hold the top wild-card position.

Still, this wasn't how things were supposed to go for a club fresh off a division title and trailing championship aspirations. 

You can blame a number of factors, including injuries to key contributors such as left-hander David Price. Boston, though, is largely suffering from a lack of power.

Entering play Wednesday, the Sox rank 15th in baseball in slugging percentage (.416) and 29th in home runs (48). It stands to reason, then, that they will go shopping for pop at or before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

Who should president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski target? Let's take a look at five potentially available names who could inject some needed thump into Fenway Park.

Yonder Alonso, 1B, Oakland Athletics

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The Oakland Athletics are treading water in the AL West with a 22-29 record and should be sellers at the deadline.

There is no greater sell-high candidate on front-office guru Billy Beane's roster than Yonder Alonso, who sports a 1.056 OPS with 14 homers in 42 games.

The 30-year-old's 2017 stat sheet far exceeds what he's accomplished since breaking into the league in 2010, but as a rental with huge power upside who won't cost a cache of top prospects, he's worth a tire kick at least.

Plus, as I recently pointed out, if Boston doesn't snag him, the Yankees might.

Mike Napoli, 1B/DH, Texas Rangers

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Mike Napoli spent two-plus seasons with the Red Sox and won a ring with the team in 2013. His return wouldn't be all about nostalgia, though.

Through 48 games with the Texas Rangers, Napoli is hitting a scant .194, yet he's second on the team with 11 home runs.

The hirsute 35-year-old can still crush it, in other words, and he could benefit from a change of scenery.

As SportsDay's Kevin Sherrington noted: "If the Rangers could crawl back to within, say, five games of the Astros at the break, they should plod proudly on. But if they're 10 games back—a separation looming closer every day—it's time to hang out the 'For Sale' sign."

Like Alonso, Napoli wouldn't fix Boston's issues by himself. But he could provide a fence-clearing spark at both designated hitter and first base, augmenting the likes of Hanley Ramirez and Mitch Moreland. 

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals

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Third base has been a disaster for Boston, with Pablo Sandoval missing much of the season to injury and his punchless replacements failing to pick up the offensive slack. 

Sandoval was activated from the disabled list Tuesday, per Darren Hartwell of NESN, and will be given yet another opportunity to prove himself. Assuming he doesn't, the hot corner is the most obvious area for Boston to upgrade.

One option? Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals.

Through 46 games with last-place K.C., Moustakas leads the club with 13 home runs. He'll be a free agent after the season, so Boston shouldn't mortgage the farm.

That said—assuming the Royals see the writing on the wall and jettison their assets—Moustakas is a legitimate bopper with extensive experience on the October stage.

Todd Frazier, 3B/DH, Chicago White Sox

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Speaking of third basemen, Todd Frazier could be a prime candidate to change his Sox.

Currently, the 31-year-old is slashing .182/.301/.372 for the Chicago White Sox. Those aren't eye-opening stats to put it mildly.

At the same time, Frazier is a two-time All-Star one season removed from a 40-homer campaign. And he's been connected to Boston in trade rumblings, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. 

"My buddies from home are always texting me, 'Hey, man—you coming to the Mets? Bro, that's my team," Frazier said, per Speier. "Just remember who's always a Mets fan, who's always a Red Sox fan, who's always this.'"

Like Moustakas, Frazier will be a free agent next winter. He shouldn't cost Boston, or anyone, a basket of blue chips. Even with his low average, however, he brings enviable bop.

"Let's throw the average out the window, keep hitting the ball hard, look for pitches to drive—which I have been," said Frazier, per Speier. "Sometimes I miss them, sometimes they're right at people. That's just the way it is."

Josh Donaldson, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays

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First off, this one likely isn't happening.

The Toronto Blue Jays may not want to trade Josh Donaldson, their franchise cornerstone, despite a last-place 25-27 record. 

If they do, it's questionable whether the Jays would swap him within the division.

And even if Toronto were willing to deal Donaldson to an AL East foe, the Red Sox would have to gut what's left of their farm system or consider dangling an MLB talent such as burgeoning outfielder Andrew Benintendi. 

That said, Donaldson sure would be a difference-maker. 

The 2015 Junior Circuit MVP has been hobbled by a lingering calf issue, but he showed resilience with a booming fifth-deck home run at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds. 

At age 31, he's one of the best third basemen in the game until further notice.

SportsNet's Jonah Keri listed the Red Sox and Yankees as possible landing spots for Donaldson should the Jays move him. 

That's pie-in-the-sky speculation for now, but, boy, is it fun to chew on.

All statistics current as of Tuesday and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball Reference.