The Boston Red Sox came into the season expecting big things from Triston Casas. However, he struggled and eventually suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez have done a good job holding things down in Casas's absence. However, that does not mean the Red Sox could not swing a trade for an upgrade.
Josh Naylor is reportedly being made available by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is going to be a free agent after the season. He was an All-Star last season and is having another great year. Sports Illustrated's Will Laws and Nick Selbe predicted the Red Sox would acquire him at the trade deadline.
"A 2024 All-Star with the Cleveland Guardians, Naylor is enjoying his fourth straight above-average offensive season following an offseason trade to Arizona and its hitter-friendly confines, where his OPS is more than 100 points higher than on the road," wrote Sports Illustrated. "Still, he’s one of just 12 qualified players batting at least .290 with an OPS over .800. Naylor, like Suárez, is set to be a free agent this offseason and a number of teams in need of a bat could sway the D-Backs into selling."
Naylor has a .786 OPS since 2021. He would be a solid addition to a Red Sox team that has put itself in a position to make a postseason run. The fact that he is also a rental aligns well with the team's needs.
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The Red Sox could want to go back to Casas at first base after the season. With that in mind, they will need to look at rental options at first base, and Naylor is just that.
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