Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Reportedly Would Like To Trade For Middle Infielder Ahead Of Deadline

Boston desperately could use a productive player up the middle

Scott Neville

Red Sox Reportedly Would Like To Trade For Middle Infielder Ahead Of Deadline
Red Sox Reportedly Would Like To Trade For Middle Infielder Ahead Of Deadline /
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The Boston Red Sox are on the fringe of contention and reportedly have identified three areas of need to put them over the edge, two of which have been known for a while.

The Red Sox have been seeking a backend starter to upgrade their unfilled and injury-riddled rotation as well as a right-handed reliever to balance out the bullpen. Now we are learning of another area they are looking for, one that makes a lot of sense.

"During a conversation on my SiriusXM show on Sunday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told me that he’s looking for a starting pitcher at the deadline, even though they hope Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock will all return from the injured list soon. Boston also would like to add a left-handed-hitting middle infielder to better balance its righty-heavy bench," The Athletic's Jim Bowden revealed Tuesday.

The latter information is highly intriguing, especially since they seemingly aren't going to use the return of Trevor Story as an excuse to not bolster the position any further.

The Red Sox currently have Kiké Hernández, Christian Arroyo, Pablo Reyes and Yu Chang up the middle. With Brayan Bello and John Schreiber's returns, one of those versatile defenders could be gone any minute now. 

None of them would be considered to be above replacement level, and Boston would relatively easily be able to find an upgrade on the trade market.

Oakland Athletic's Tony Kemp is a budget option that has been tossed around as a fit but he's no better than the names mentioned prior. If the Red Sox really want to make a splash, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India would do the trick while Chicago White Sox's Tim Anderson is a rising option as well amid a hot stretch.

If Bloom does go out and get an impact middle infielder, a backend starter and a league-average or better reliever, the Red Sox with the impending additions of Sale, Whitlock, Houck and Story could truly be contenders.

More MLB: Pirates Placing Closer On Trade Block; Will Red Sox Pursue All-Star At Deadline?

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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

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