The Boston Red Sox might be one or two moves away from being considered legitimate contenders in the American League. They appear to be aiming for another top hitter and have been linked with St. Louis Cardinals infielder Nolan Arenado.
The Red Sox could pull off a trade for Nolan Arenado
The 33-year-old former star and perennial Gold Glove award winner at third base is willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Red Sox. Is it a move within the realm of possibilities? Team reporter Tyler Milliken offered some insight:
“The Red Sox have emerged as a strong candidate to land Nolan Arenado via a trade from the Cardinals, per @JohnDenton555. Notes they could be close to pulling out of the sweepstakes for Alex Bregman. Could be contingent on the Cards eating money and Triston Casas being moved,” he wrote on X.
The Red Sox would have to move Casas to accommodate Arenado
Denton closely follows the Cardinals, so he has an idea of what they could do and where they are at. As for the Red Sox, trading off the younger Casas for the declining Arenado doesn’t seem like a good idea, the difference in defensive value notwithstanding.
Casas has a 126 OPS+ over the last two years, while Arenado sits at 104. There is a good chance Arenado will be a below-average hitter in a year or two, while Casas should give the Red Sox some excellent production for years to come. Complicating things is the fact that Masataka Yoshida is still on the roster, clogging up the designated hitter spot and taking some flexibility off the Red Sox.
If Arenado indeed lands with the Red Sox, the reasonable expectation would be to move Rafael Devers to first base and trade Casas for something of real value. Whether that is a sound plan or not is a discussion for another day.
