Boston Red Sox: 5 Right-Field Options at the Trade Deadline

JD Drew is having a bad season. Chalk that one up under Captain Obvious' playbook.

In year five of a $70 million contract, Drew is proving all the right people among Boston's leadership wrong with a .646 OPS. Optimistically, the Red Sox saw Drew getting the bulk of the starts in RF from the beginning of spring training. Now, halfway through July, we've seen that role shift to a straight platoon, and now Drew sits occasionally against even right-handed pitching.

The prospect of releasing Drew is not the boondoggle it would be for a prime free agent candidate. He won't be offered a contract by the team, which eliminates the possibility of draft pick compensation if he signed elsewhere. Drew has hinted at retirement more than once, and he is owed no money after 2011. The one question remaining then is if Boston is willing to pay Drew not to play (or play somewhere else).

The $6 million still due Drew for the rest of the season is a tough pill to swallow, even for the likes of Theo & Co. But the damage of this contract was done years ago, and at this point, the Red Sox would be best served finding a solution that helps them win now.

Option No. 1: Josh Reddick, Red Sox

AVG/OBP/SLG: .393/.429/.672 (61 AB) 

Age: 24 

2011 Salary: $417,000

Josh Reddick has spent the last month reminding Boston fans why he's considered one of the highest ceiling position players in the Red Sox system. Plus range, plus arm and a blend of speed and pop that can net a lot of extra base hits (five doubles, three triples, two home runs in 61 AB this year).

There are still holes in his game. As impressive as many of his metrics are, his plate discipline still takes the night off from time to time. This is an area where he's shown marked improvement since 2009, but it's also one area that Drew excels in. Beyond that, it's impossible to think Reddick will be a downgrade.

Reddick's biggest appeal as a starter is that he adds nothing to the Red Sox payroll. The one mark against him may be his left-handed bat more than anything else.

Option No. 2: Carlos Beltran, Mets

AVG/OBP/SLG: .285/.377/.503 (326 AB) 

Age: 34 

2011 Salary: $18.5 million

For a high-rent solution to Boston's right field problem, Theo Epstein may look down I-95 at the Mets' Carlos Beltran for help. As undoubtedly the most complete offensive player available this summer, Beltran would provide instant stability in the six-hole, protecting Ortiz and setting the table for Crawford.

The biggest obstacle? Money. Mets GM Sandy Alderson has made it clear that the departure of Beltran would not constitute a simple salary dump; the Mets would demand a high-end prospect in return. For Boston's part, they are not interested in forking over a high luxury tax for what amounts to a late-summer rental in Beltran.

These conditions, coupled with a Boston farm system that is not as well-stocked as it was a few years ago, would seem to be mutually exclusive and dampen the likelihood of Beltran coming to Boston.

Option No. 3: Hunter Pence, Astros

AVG/OBP/SLG: .323/.364/.496 (353 AB) 

Age: 28  2011

Salary: $6.9 million

Pence is an intriguing option when considering the trade market for outfielders. He's the MVP of the worst team in either league, plays with athleticism on both sides of the ball and would add some right-handed balance to the lineup. He has one more year of arbitration after 2011, which means the Sox would control his fate in 2012 to sign or trade.

The downside? Pence is in his fifth major league season and hasn't picked up much plate discipline thus far. His career OBP of .340 looks worse when you consider his career BA is a just shade under .300. A small differential like that suggests a good hitter who has never learned to draw a walk, which is antithetical to Red Sox philosophy.

Option No. 4: Carlos Quentin, White Sox

AVG/OBP/SLG: .251/.350/.502 (303 AB) 

Age: 28 

2011 Salary: $5.05 million

The south-side slugger has quietly put together a 30 homer, 90 RBI pace on an underachieving team overshadowed by Konerko's brilliance and Dunn's collapse over the first half. Quentin has much of the same appeal as Pence with less speed, but better place discipline. Like Pence, he has one more year of arbitration before he's eligible for free agency.

It remains to be seen if White Sox GM Kenny Williams wants to fold his 2011 hand to save money. On paper, the supremely talented Chicago lineup should have ground AL Central pitching to dust this year, but it has not happened that way. The oft-injured Quentin may be available from a White Sox team looking to trim the sails for next year.

Option No. 5: Reed Johnson, Cubs

AVG/OBP/SLG: .325/.368/.548 (125 AB) 

Age: 34 

2011 Salary: $900,000

This is possibility I came up with, and Johnson's name is one I haven't heard in any trade talks. But Reed is having a very solid year in a backup outfielder role. He doesn't have big power or RBI totals, but he does have a good track record in the AL East with Toronto, and historically is a pretty good contact hitter.

The Cubs confirmed that Johnson would slide back to his reserve role with Marlon Byrd's return from injury. His fourth outfielder status on a losing club makes him an attractive, low-cost trade option that the Red Sox could use in a platoon/super utility role coupled with Josh Reddick.