Red Sox Have Intriguing Odds To Land Three-Time MVP Outfielder This Winter

Boston could use some more star power in the lineup

Scott Neville | Sep 26, 2023

Red Sox Have Intriguing Odds To Land Three-Time MVP Outfielder This Winter /

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are expected to undergo a substantial roster overhaul this winter after letting go of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and resetting the luxury tax.

While the majority of those changes are expected to happen to the pitching staff, all bets are off as the organization attempts to surge back toward their winning ways.

Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani will be on the move this winter but he might not be the only generational talent to leave the Halos. As it stands now, Mike Trout has -165 odds to be traded according to BetOnline's Sportsbook. That means that a trade is more likely than not according to the oddsmakers. That information combined with reports of the Angels' willingness to trade him is intriguing.

Would the Red Sox get involved in a potential sweepstakes for the three-time MVP and all-time great? Oddsmakers seem to think so.

The Red Sox have +1400 odds (7.14%) to land Trout this winter, which ranks seventh among big-league teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees are the only teams above Boston. Given recent reports of the Padres contemplating downsizing, it might be time to rule them out as well.

Trout still has seven years remaining on his 12-year, $426.5 million contract. Los Angeles likely would have to absorb at least half of his remaining salary for the Red Sox to consider adding the 32-year-old slugger.

One thing is clear, he can still play. Trout hit .263 with 33 extra-base hits including 18 home runs, 44 RBIs and a .858 OPS (130 OPS+) in 82 games this season. His production -- which was 30% better than the league average -- was the lowest it's been since he was a 19-year-old rookie. The eleven-time All-Star notched a 2.7 bWAR despite only playing half of the season.

Boston could add another core player that pitchers would fear alongside Rafael Devers, Triston Casas and Justin Turner should he return. Trout also would improve the club's historically bad defense, as he rated in the 85th percentile in outs above average in 2023.

The seven percent odds of landing Trout feel about right, so it's far too early to get fans' hopes up. That said, a move for Trout would not be out of the question.

More MLB: Ex-Red Sox Slugger Appears To Be Odd Man Out Of Yankees Roster Heading Into Offseason

Published Sep 26, 2023

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