The Boston Red Sox didn't expect to be in third place in the American League East with the July 31 trade deadline less than a week away, but despite the lackluster performance from the defending World Series champions, they are not expected to be sellers.
In fact, a National League general manager relayed that stance to longtime baseball expert Peter Gammons:
The Red Sox are 11 games behind the rival New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. These teams begin a pivotal four-game series at Fenway Park on Thursday night, but it's hard to imagine the Sox making up that much ground in the division. However, the wild-card race definitely is winnable for Boston. The Sox are just two games behind the second wild-card spot in the AL entering Thursday.
What are Boston's needs at the deadline? Pitching should be the focus.
The Red Sox acquired veteran starter Andrew Cashner from the Baltimore Orioles earlier this month, but he's struggled in his first two starts with Boston. Bringing in another starter makes sense, but the bullpen, which has blown 18 saves and been overworked all year, remains a concern. Adding a bullpen arm, preferably a closer such as Will Smith of the San Francisco Giants, would be an ideal upgrade for the Red Sox before the trade deadline.
The Red Sox have one of Major League Baseball's best offenses, led by career seasons from shortstop Xander Bogaerts and third baseman Rafael Devers. This lineup should continue to score runs in bunches, but if the pitching doesn't improve, it would be surprising if this team made another deep October run.
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