LOS ANGELES — Shortly after the Red Sox arrived at Dodger Stadium to open the unofficial start of their second half Friday, manager Alex Cora called a brief team meeting to issue a simple message. The trade deadline may be on the horizon, Cora told his players, but that doesn’t mean it needed to be a conversation within the walls of Boston’s clubhouse.
That advice — caused in part by how those in uniform reacted to disappointing deadlines in each of the last two years under Chaim Bloom — was intended to keep the Red Sox focused during an important stretch of games that determine what exactly the front office does before the July 30 deadline. But it hasn’t dissuaded some veterans — both active and on the injured list — from dreaming big.
“Yeah. I think so,” said injured shortstop Trevor Story when asked if the Sox had shown they are deserving of additions. ”Obviously, they’ve exceeded a lot of expectations from people outside the room. I think we expected ourselves to be in this situation. I think we will (add). The Red Sox organization has never not gone for it while holding a position like this. I feel good about that.”
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The Red Sox got to the All-Star break as one of the hottest teams in baseball and entered the second half leading Kansas City by two games for the third and final wild card spot in the American League. Even after dropping two straight heartbreakers at Dodger Stadium, they entered Sunday nine games above .500 and squarely in the mix. Teams in that type of position tend to buy, and not sell, at the deadline. But to this point, according to an industry source, the Red Sox have yet to identify a definitive deadline plan of attack.
However, in preparation for the green light to be given, the Red Sox have already held conversations with multiple teams. For now, with better than a week to go, much of the discussions are exploratory in nature, built around hypothetical proposals and what one major league executive termed “a lot of feeling out.”
Teams who have spoken to the Red Sox have heard the team is largely focused on pitching — both rotation adds and bullpen help — and a right-handed hitter, preferably one who can contribute at multiple positions. Luis Rengifo, a super-utility type with Angels, is one target, though the Angels’ stance to date reflects a preference to retain Rengifo, who is under control through 2025. Whether that is mere posturing on the part of the Angels, designed to drive up the asking price, remains to be seen.
Even though the Red Sox are resigned to the fact that first baseman Triston Casas is unlikely to rejoin the team much before Sept. 1, the team is not currently targeting a first baseman per se, believing that a righty bat with additional versatility would be of more value. The recent upswing by Dominic Smith (.798 OPS over his last 37 games) has also eliminated the sense of urgency to find a first baseman, as the Sox believe he can help hold down the position well enough until the return of Casas.
In their search for starting pitching, the team would prefer to land a rotation piece with control beyond the current season. But given the competitive nature of the market when it comes to arms, the Sox aren’t ruling out rental options. A major league source said late last week that the Red Sox had not approached the White Sox about All-Star lefty Garrett Crochet. The asking price on Detroit ace Tarik Skubal is thought to be astronomical, likely requiring the Red Sox to part with two of their “Big Three” prospects (Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kyle Teel) — a clear non-starter for Boston.
While players are always hesitant to cite specific needs their team may have because doing so may come off as a slight against teammates on the roster, closer Kenley Jansen was clear when asked Saturday.
“You can never go wrong adding more pitching,” he said. “Another right-handed bat will be helpful. We’ll see how it goes.”
Jansen, who is perhaps Boston’s most accomplished player, was clearly disappointed that the organization did not add more talent to the roster over the winter and has been aware of the trade rumors involving his name that have dated back to February. If the Red Sox sell, Jansen — a pending free agent in the midst of a great year — would be an obvious candidate to move. At 36, his main focus is pitching for a contender. The upstart Red Sox certainly qualify now.
“Yeah, but at the end of the day, they know what they have planned,” he said when asked if the Sox deserved reinforcements. “They probably have their five-year plan or something. But this is a great team. We should be competing. We’ll see what’s going to happen here down the road.
“It’s going to be interesting in a week to watch.”
Privately, Cora was among those disappointed at the last two deadlines when the Red Sox failed to add. In 2022, the decision to trade catcher Christian Vázquez to Houston ruffled feathers in the clubhouse. Last year, Bloom largely stood pat and deemed the Red Sox “underdogs” — a label that was met with more than a snicker from the coaching staff.
This time around, under new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, Cora hopes things will be different — but wants more talent on his roster like any manager would. Regardless, he felt having a conversation about eliminating distractions was necessary.
“We want to get better. We know that,” Cora said. “We’re in a position where we can play meaningful games in September and October.
“I was more vocal with them this year. We had that conversation with them two days ago. Our job is to play and win as many games as possible and not play GMs. From young guys to veterans. I was very clear this year. I made sure that we’re not going to talk about this … It’s not going to be a story.”
Cora has benefited greatly from deadline additions in the past. In 2018, Nathan Eovaldi and World Series MVP Steve Pearce were key pieces of a title team. In 2021, Kyle Schwarber made an immediate impact and relievers Hansel Robles and Austin Davis were solid as low-profile pickups. Players believe the morale boost of reinforcements is a real thing.
“It definitely sends a message,” Story said. “More than anything, it sends a message to the fans and everybody involved in the organization that, ‘We believe you guys can do it.’”
All-Star starter Tanner Houck saw it first hand with Schwarber, Robles and Davis three years ago. He remembered fondly that Schwarber, who had spent the first four months of the year on the out-of-contention Nationals, came in eager to learn how to play first base.
“It’s stuff like that that can boost a team,” Houck said. “The humility to think you’re not better than anyone. We needed a role filled and he was glad to do it. Whether we make a trade or not… if someone comes over and does that, it’ll be welcomed with open arms.”
Houck, however, isn’t one to push the front office in a vocal manner.
“It’s a place that my mind doesn’t really belong,” he said. “I’m not in the front office. I’m just throwing a ball every five days. Playing GM in your mind can be fun but I’ll save it for ‘MLB: The Show’ or the new NCAA Football game.”
Despite his answer, Houck is surely among those who want the Red Sox add in an effort to get back to the postseason for the first time in three seasons. He’s not alone.
“I think we’re in a spot where if we keep playing the way we are, I think we have a good chance to be in the hunt down the stretch,” said reliever Zack Kelly. “But our main focus is showing up and just playing, continuing the momentum we’ve gained over the last month and a half.”
If not, the Red Sox will have to hope their young talent will continue to carry them.
“As players, it’s nice to think about we could be expecting,” said Story. “But we’ve gotten this far with the team we do have. If we do get some people, that’s great. If not, you just have to have the mindset that you can do it with the group you have.”
