The Boston Red Sox entered the MLB season with high hopes and expectations. Some of their stars were entering contract years, so they should be extra motivated. They brought in plenty of help in free agency and looked poised for another strong campaign.
And, while their start to the season wasn't exactly encouraging, we should know better than to count out Alex Cora's team so early in the campaign. There's still plenty of baseball to be played.
The Red Sox Can Still Make A Run
The Red Sox got off to a terrible start of the season and looked to be sellers ahead of the trade deadline. But they've resurged and looked like the team they've been more often than not as of late.
Even so, they still need to make a couple of moves to become a legit World Series contender out of baseball's most competitive division. With that in mind, let's look at three players Chaim Bloom should target before the deadline.
Ian Happ
The Chicago Cubs aren't going anywhere this season or even the next. Ian Happ has been linked with multiple teams over the past couple of years, and it's no surprise, as he's one of the most versatile players expected to be available this season.
He's not an elite defender by any means, but he can play all over the field. His offense is coming together and could give Cora a Swiss-army kind of player that always comes in handy come playoff time.
Jose Quintana
Luis Castillo, Tayler Mahle, and Frankie Montas will likely be at the top of everybody's wishlist ahead of the deadline. That's why the Red Sox could dig deeper into the market and turn their attention to Jose Quintana.
The Pittsburgh Pirates' hurler has posted a 3.53 ERA through 58.2 IP this season, so it would be easy to ignore his 1-4 record. The Pirates will look to dump their veterans, and the Red Sox sure could use another reliable arm on the mound.
David Bednar
And last but not least, the Red Sox could turn to one of the most underrated players in the league to revamp their ever-struggling bullpen.
David Bednar has been elite for the Pirates this season, posting a 1.24 ERA with a 38-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2022. He's just 27 years old and playing on quite the team-friendly contract. So, they should look to lure him even if they have to part ways with valuable assets to get the deal done.
]]>The Inquisitr
