Red Sox Trade Rumors: BOS Has 'No Untouchables' Ahead of 2020 Deadline

The Boston Red Sox are mired in one of their worst seasons in two decades, and there doesn't seem to be much help on the way. 

At 9-20 and ten games back in the American League East, the Red Sox are looking like one of baseball's guaranteed sellers at the August 31 trade deadline. The looming changes could be sweeping with USA Today's Bob Nightengale reporting the franchise has told teams it has "no untouchables" in trade talks.

Following the Los Angeles Dodgers' acquisition of Mookie Betts from Boston last offseason, the idea of the Red Sox being unwilling to discuss any other player already seemed farfetched, but the horrid start to the season has left first-year chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom with relatively few options. 

It may also mean an aggressive jump-start to a full rebuild like the Chicago White Sox did in 2016. With few long-term deals left on the books, Boston could try to get as much value out of its current roster now as possible.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan:

"The Red Sox should shop everyone on their roster not named Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo. Not a single player who throws a pitch for the Red Sox this season beyond Darwinzon Hernandez will be with Boston beyond 2022. With a mediocre farm system and player development more or less in neutral this season, accelerating the Red Sox's rebuild won't be easy. So whether it's now with free agents-to-be Jackie Bradley Jr. and Kevin Pillar or this winter with Christian Vazquez and Martin Perez (who has the fourth-lowest average exit velocity among starters this season), move 'em. If you can get something for J.D. Martinez, who has another opt-out clause this winter, do it."

Most troubling of all for Boston is a farm system currently ranked 25th in baseball by MLB Pipeline. 

Jeter Downs—who came back in the Betts trade—is the highest-ranked Red Sox prospect at No. 48 and one of only two Top 100 prospects under the franchise's control (Triston Casas, 1B, is No. 82). Neither are expected to see a Major League field before 2021. 

MLB's expanded postseason may have done Boston a favor in creating more urgency for a greater pool of buyers. It makes sense the team would consider listening to any offer with Bloom forced to create depth across the organization.