The Boston Red Sox didn't get off to the start of the season they wanted, but they're now one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball.
For most of the campaign, Alex Cora's squad sat near the bottom of the AL East. But the season is a long grind with multiple ups and downs, and they still have more than enough time to turn things around.
Red Sox Are Getting Hot
The Red Sox were expected to be World Series contenders, and they're finally starting to play like one. They're well-coached, deep, and have more than enough talent to make a splash, even in one of baseball's toughest divisions.
But they still have several areas of improvement they should address ahead of the trade deadline. With that in mind, let's look at three dark horse candidates they could target.
Trey Mancini
The Baltimore Orioles don't have any use for their veterans right now. They're putting together a solid core of young players and will be contenders in the future, but Trey Mancini is simply wasting his prime there.
Bobby Dalbec has been far from impressive this season and has been one of their biggest offensive liabilities. That's why Chaim Bloom should look to bolster that first-baseman position with one of the most productive guys that could be on the market, and that's Mancini.
Jesus Aguilar
If the Orioles' asking price for Mancini turns out to be too expensive, they could also turn their attention to Jesus Aguilar, who'd be an offensive upgrade over Bobby Dalbec and Franchy Cordero.
Aguilar could provide some much-needed power at that position, and he could also serve as their DH if they wind up trading J.D. Martínez. He hasn't been as good as he was in 2018, so there's always some risk, but he'd be a guy worth looking at.
David Robertson
The Red Sox have been relatively better over the past couple of weeks, but they still have a tough time in close games once the ninth inning comes. Their bullpen is far from ideal, and Matt Strahm isn't exactly an elite hurler to close out games.
Cora's team has seen six different pitchers log at least one save, including Garrett Whitlock. The Chicago Cubs are expected to go through another panic sale at the deadline, and David Robertson should be Boston's top priority after logging an ERA of 1.66 with a 0.923 WHIP and 30 SO to 9 BB. He's what could turn them from pretenders to contenders.
]]>The Inquisitr
