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The MLB trade deadline is only five days away, and the Boston Red Sox still need to make another big move if they want to capitalize on their new playoff contention position.
Now that they’ve lost newly acquired slugger Curtis Mead for the foreseeable future, Boston truly needs to get another bat. Luckily, a catcher/DH could be available, and work well for Boston: St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Ivan Herrera.
Herrera is up on the block
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Herrera has already been put on the block, according to MLB insider Mark Feinsand due to the fact St. Louis has some top-tier catching talent that’s almost MLB ready. So, selling high on him while he’s having an All-Star year is a smart thing to do.
Also, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, Boston has already shown interest in the catcher, as well as their eternal rivals, the New York Yankees. However, Boston does have the upper hand on New York in any negotiations, for one key reason: familiarity.
Red Sox have trade history with Cardinals
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In the past offseason, St. Louis and Boston did a lot of business. One of the big reasons why is the fact that the Cardinals’ current GM, Chaim Bloom, was Boston’s GM before Craig Breslow.
This past year, the Cardinals and Red Sox swapped a bunch of players; St. Louis got a lot of young talent, and the Red Sox got Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray, who turned out to be their best hitter and pitcher this season.
With that familiarity, it wouldn’t be hard to reason Boston could pick up the phone and start a conversation that would end with the Red Sox having another thumper in their lineup.
Herrera profiles well in Boston
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This season, Herrera is slashing .242/.362/.377/.739 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs, and 44 RBI in 106 games played. While it doesn’t seem like much, keep in mind, Boston’s current catcher platoon isn’t any better; on top of that, his bat has much more power than the platoon as well.
His bat is also built for Fenway, as it’s a pull-heavy righty swing that could easily see an increase in overall stats by abusing the Green Monster for doubles and home runs. On top of that, he has three and a half years of team control left, so he wouldn’t be a rental.
Herrera also doesn’t have to be the main catcher, as his defense leaves less than to be desired. He could platoon at DH and catcher, or become a full-time at either position, based on what the Red Sox want to do in their future. Hopefully, Boston picks up the phone soon, before another team snags him before they can.
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