Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Star Reportedly Could Be Traded To Dodgers In Notable Move After Strong Start

Boston could be headed toward a fire sale

Scott Neville

Mar 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A general view of Fenway Park before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A general view of Fenway Park before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

The Boston Red Sox roster was not set up for postseason contention and have not done themselves any favors with a 32-31 start -- 12 1/2 games back of first place in the American League East.

Boston only trails the expanded wild card format by 1 1/2 games but Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will have to see more than just a team in the hunt to alter his timeline -- which was predicated on waiting until more young talents establish themselves.

If the Red Sox merely hang around .500, impending free agents almost certainly will be shipped off this summer, one of which could be headed for a reunion: closer Kenley Jansen.

"The borderline Hall of Famer surely wants to be on a contender," the New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday about Jansen. "A (Los Angeles) Dodgers return makes sense."

Jansen has a 2.89 ERA with a 24-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .197 batting average against and a 1.23 WHIP in 18 2/3 innings this season. Most importantly, he's converted nine of 10 save opportunities.

The 36-year-old has been vocal about wanting to play for a contender in his latter years and the Dodgers could use a high-leverage reliever.

Barring a run by Boston, Jansen is as good as gone. Los Angeles would be a logical landing spot.

More MLB: Red Sox Slugger Could Be Traded To Phillies Amid Breakout Campaign

Published
Scott Neville

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

Home/Boston Red Sox News