3 Most Likely Red Sox Trade Targets at the Deadline

The Boston Red Sox have struggled to find consistency this year, mostly due to injuries and top players underperforming. Having said that, they aren't out of the playoff race just yet and a strong run could see them eventually overtake one of the American League's wild-card spots.

The Red Sox might have faith that their roster can turn things around, but looking for outside help is never a bad idea. The trade deadline is quickly approaching, giving Boston plenty of options to improve any areas of need. Besides, the Red Sox haven't been shy to pull off a big deal in the past.

The MLB trade deadline is August 2, and these three players are the most likely to be targeted by the Red Sox before the first week in August.

Red Sox Trade Rumors

1. Whit Merrifield, 2B/OF — Kansas City Royals

With how bad the Kansas City Royals have been this year, there have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding the versatile Whit Merrifield. The two-time MLB All-Star is in the middle of a down season, batting .229 with three home runs and 28 RBIs. A change in scenery is desperately needed to help him get back on track and playing in front of the bright lights and Fenway Park might just do the trick. The Red Sox need some offensive outfield help and Merrifield can be that guy, having 38 home runs and 206 RBIs without having missed a game in any of the last four seasons. Besides, he's signed through the 2023 season, giving Boston some future help as well.

2. Chad Kuhl, SP — Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies will also likely be sellers, meaning Chad Kuhl is a name that the Red Sox should call them about. The 29-year-old starting pitcher would help a Boston rotation that's been plagued by injuries all year. Kuhl's 4-4 in 12 starts this season, pitching to a career-best 3.69 ERA while striking out 49 batters over 63.1 innings pitched. It likely won't cost much to acquire him either due to him being on an expiring $3 million contract. He's a solid arm to have at the backend of the rotation and could step up if the injury bug rears its head once again.

3. Andrew Benintendi, LF — Kansas City Royals

The outfield is a major concern for the Red Sox and another Royals outfielder that they can go after is someone that they're familiar with: Andrew Benintendi. The 27-year-old spent the first five seasons of his career in Boston before he was traded to Kansas City, recording 51 HRs and 260 RBIs in 485 games. He's still been solid this year as one of the Royals' top trade chips, hitting three homers and 25 RBIs while slashing .298/.363/.396. Benintendi has been openly positive about his experience with the Red Sox, so he'd likely have no issue going back to where it began. If a deal can be made, Boston's outfield will be much less of a liability.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.