One Last-Minute Trade the Red Sox Need to Make Before the Deadline

After months of trade rumors swirling, the MLB trade deadline comes into effect when the clock strikes 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The Boston Red Sox are a club to watch after it seemed like they were sellers following Monday's Christian Vazquez trade, only to acquire outfielder Tommy Pham shortly after on Tuesday.

With how tight the American League is, it'd be in the Red Sox's best interest to sell on Tuesday. One player that can be moved in a last-minute deal to help with the future is none other than five-time MLB All-Star slugger J.D. Martinez.

Red Sox Trade Rumors

A free agent at the end of the campaign, it's no surprise to see Martinez as one of the more popular deadline day names. Aside from his All-Star appearances making him an attractive target, the 34-year-old veteran is also a three-time Silver Slugger and owns a World Series ring from Boston's 2018 run.

Martinez is the perfect player for a team looking to get more offense from the outfield or designated hitter spot. Though he's no longer an MVP candidate-type player, the former 2009 20th-round pick has nine home runs and 40 RBIs in 88 games this season while slashing .288/.353/.459.

The Chicago White Sox are one team that's been linked to Martinez to replace either AJ Pollock or Gavin Sheets in the outfield. The New York Mets are also another potential destination after losing out on Trey Mancini to the Houston Astros on Monday.

Mets continue to be in on JD Martinez and Christian Vazquez, but nothing is imminent. Yankees still very much after Montas and likely willing to move Peraza if necessary. This has been your early afternoon unsurprising check in with sources.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) August 1, 2022

Regardless, Martinez is the type of veteran bat that's often moved at the trade deadline. While the lack of term on his contract minimizes the possible return, there could very well be a bidding war for his services. If that's the case, the Red Sox should get back some quality prospects that can help strengthen their future for years to come.

If Boston doesn't trade Martinez and he makes it to free agency, chances are he'll get a lot of attention. As much as it'd hurt to see the fan favorite go, it's better to trade him now than to lose him for nothing in a few months.

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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.