Red Sox Reportedly 'Were Close' To Trading Key Player To Marlins

Bloom almost made a major move

Scott Neville | Aug 3, 2023

Red Sox Reportedly 'Were Close' To Trading Key Player To Marlins /

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The Boston Red Sox's top storyline at Tuesday's Major League Baseball Trade Deadline was the lack of activity made. However, as news continues to swirl, the main takeaway appears to be the vast directions the team almost went in.

Boston ultimately stood pat at the deadline but reportedly considered making some massive moves at the deadline.

"According to sources briefed on the matter, the Red Sox had extensive discussions about trading Turner to the Marlins, a team that pursued him last offseason," Ken Rosenthal wrote Thursday.

"The Marlins felt they were close to acquiring Turner. When the proposed deal fell through, they pivoted to trades for two other hitters, Josh Bell and Jake Burger. What the Red Sox would have received in return for Turner is not known. But for (chief baseball officer) Chaim Bloom to again consider disrupting his clubhouse in the middle of an encouraging season, the package must have been enticing. The Marlins are deep in controllable starting pitching, precisely what Bloom was seeking to acquire at the deadline."

Turner has been the biggest leader in the clubhouse this season and has been equally important on the field. The 38-year-old is hitting .286 with 42 extra-base hits including 17 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .837 OPS (122 OPS+) in 102 games this season.

The veteran has been a staple of the lineup and trading him would effectively end the Red Sox's season. If that was the direction they wanted to go, outfielder Adam Duvall and right-hander James Paxton should have been shipped off as well to prepare for 2024.

However, Rosenthal also reported that the Red Sox were in on New York Mets ace Justin Verlander. Bloom seemed to go into the deadline with no plan, which would be reinforced by his inability to make any deals despite claiming he was on the phone all day. He was right about not wanting to make deals just to make them but he had weeks to find a fit.

More MLB: Mets Loosely Linked To Red Sox's Chris Sale As Offseason Trade Target

Published Aug 3, 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