Trade Deadline Preview: Boston Red Sox
By Drew Jenkins
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Three potential trade targets
1. OF Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers
This trade has been talked about for a decent part of this year and for good reason. The Dodgers have a huge surplus of outfielders, and the Red Sox are in need of an outfielder. Kemp may not be the player he once was, but he is still a solid outfielder and has been getting progressively better as the season has gone on. He would be a great pairing with Betts and Bradley Jr. There are many potential issues that could derail and Kemp-Sox deal, such as his large contract, but this deal could end up making plenty of sense.
2. SP Ian Kennedy of the San Diego Padres
Kennedy may not be a sexy trade target like David Price or Jeff Samardzija, but he would be a good addition to the Red Sox. Other than a poor 2013, he has been a good pitcher over the course of his career. He wouldn’t replace Lester by any means, but he could provide some stability to the Sox rotation for this year and next, and he will likely come at a reasonable price.
3. RP Joel Peralta of the Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are even further out of contention than the Sox, and they could be motivated to deal from their surplus of relief pitching. Peralta has been a horse for the Rays the past few seasons, and would make a good piece of the Red Sox bullpen. He also has team options for 2015-2017, making his contract very team-friendly. The biggest issue is that the small-market Rays aren’t in a hurry to move such a good contract, but at the same time their relief depth is outstanding. If the Red Sox parted with something of decent value, the Rays likely wouldn’t hesitate.