The Boston Red Sox are red-hot as of late. They have won five consecutive games and come to within 6 1/2 games in the American League East.
They also are just one game out of the final Wild Card spot, so even after the Rafael Devers trade, which shocked the Major League Baseball world, they remain a threat.
They seem to be leaning towards buying at the trade deadline, as Craig Breslow alluded to in late June. If they do indeed decide to add, they need help at first base.
Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman and Chad Jennings of The Athletic listed their Top 40 trade candidates. Among them was Josh Naylor, and the Red Sox were listed as a top fit.
"Only a dozen qualified hitters strike out less often than Naylor, and among them only Mookie Betts and his old teammate José Ramírez hit with his kind of power. (That’s never bad company to keep.) This is a robust market for teams in need of first basemen."
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Naylor is hitting .296/.357/.465 with 11 home runs. 58 RBI, 11 stolen bases and an .822 OPS. He also has posted a 1.2 WAR.
The veteran first baseman and former All-Star is in the final year of his contract, which could make him an attractive trade piece. Boston also needs help at first base with Triston Casas out for the rest of the season.
Naylor could be the perfect fit, as Fenway Park's dimensions are hitter-friendly, especially out towards right field. The short porch could allow him to increase his home run total if traded at the deadline.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have not declared themselves sellers just yet, but they are trending towards that direction.
It will be interesting to see how Boston navigates the deadline and their search for a first baseman.
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