Would this Boston Red Sox-Oakland A’s trade work?

We continue our series of examining fan-proposed trades and if they could potentially work in real life. In this article, we look at a proposed swap between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland A’s.

Would this fan-proposed trade idea involving the Boston Red Sox and Oakland A’s work?

In this article from The Athletic (subscription required), former Major League Baseball general manager Jim Bowden gives his take on hypothetical trades proposed by fans and if he thinks they might work in real life. In this series based on the suggestions given to Bowden, we have looked at several trades involving players from the Oakland A’s since that team is expected to deal away some of its talent once the current MLB lockout is lifted. Some past trades discussed include this one involving Oakland’s Matt Olson heading to the New York Yankees and this one sending Matt Chapman to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Let’s turn our attention in this article, however, to a proposed Red Sox-A’s swap. In the original proposal from a fan, Boston would send first baseman Bobby Dalbec, outfielder Jarren Duran (ranked third among Boston prospects), shortstop Jeter Downs (ranked fifth among Boston prospects), and right-hander Thaddeus Ward (ranked 21st among Boston prospects) to Oakland for first baseman Matt Olson and right-hander Frankie Montas.

Yes, that’s quite a group heading from Boston to Oakland in order to acquire Olson, a first baseman who slashed .271/.371/.540 last season with a career-high 39 home runs and 111 RBI, and Montas, who went 13-9 with a 3.37 ERA/1.182 WHIP and finished sixth in the American League Cy Young Award race last season. Both players aren’t scheduled to be free agents until the 2024 campaign, meaning whichever team lands them will also win two years of team control.

Acquiring Dalbec would also give Oakland a first baseman to immediately plug in place of Olson, with players providing plenty of power opportunities to their new teams.

However, Bowden thinks the offer needs to be tweaked a bit, with Dalbec being replaced by Triston Casas (Boston’s second overall prospect and a first baseman as well) and sixth-ranked prospect Brayan Bello (a right-hander) going in the deal rather than Ward. If Boston were to make those swaps, Bowden believes the deal would be done.

With those tweaks, that means Boston would be sending four of their top six prospects to Oakland for two players who would contribute immediately for the Red Sox. It would truly be a win-now move for Boston while Oakland would be prepped to compete again in the near future. In fact, three of the four prospects (with the exception of Casas) are projected to see MLB action in 2022, so the future would be now for Oakland.

What do you think of this fan-proposed deal? If you’re Boston, would you trade prospects for a pair of strong additions to your roster who will be with the team for at least two more seasons? If you’re Oakland, is this a strong enough to package to pry Montas and Olson away? Let us know in the comments section below.