ST PETERSBURG, FL – OCTOBER 08: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Boston Red Sox reacts with Xander Bogaerts #2 after hitting a go ahead three run home run during the fifth inning of game two of the 2021 American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on October 8, 2021 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Xander Bogaerts headlines the current Boston Red Sox trade talk but the team has a few more notable candidates to shop this summer.
Xander Bogaerts is the most talked-about Boston Red Sox trade candidate for a couple of reasons. The team isn’t winning much, he is playing incredibly well, and the two have yet to come to terms on a new contract. Bogaerts is likely going to use the opt-out in his current deal after the season is through which puts him out there for any other team to sign.
Bogaerts is hardly the lone trade candidate on the club. In fact, if they don’t start winning games, they may undergo one of the biggest summer fire sales of all. The team has a whole lot of upcoming free agents after the season is over. Each of them, and more, could be on the trade block.
Which members of the Red Sox should we most expect to see on the move and where could they possibly land?
Red Sox trade candidate J.D. Martinez can give any team a DH boost
J.D. Martinez’s time with the Red Sox has flown by. It’s hard to believe this is already his fifth year with the team. Immensely productive outside of the shortened 2020 season, he is a guy who should be on every DH-needy team’s radar.
Martinez is a free agent after the season is over which makes him an alternative for any teams hoping to maybe get Nelson Cruz on the cheap. Martinez is younger and a little more capable of playing the field. Last season, he even found his way into 299.1 innings as an outfielder.
Any team in the market for an outfielder should skip over Martinez. He is a DH-exclusive option with maybe the occasional start at first base. The Chicago White Sox could be a team emerging as one possible destination. Their lack of production out of the DH spot should put them in the mix to acquire Martinez or any other similar players. With enough players to man the positions defensively, it’s a good midseason rental for them to look at heavily.
If they’re looking to boost the team further, selling a big part of the farm for Martinez and Bogaerts could turn this into an absolute blockbuster.