Red Sox president doesn't want to part ways with 'core group of players' at trade deadline
Just two years after winning their ninth World Series title, the Boston Red Sox are nowhere near title contention.
While the team likely isn't going to turn things around in 2020, it'd like to start focusing on the future. With the trade deadline coming up on Aug. 31, Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy discussed how they'll approach it.
Kennedy said the club would like to hold on to and build around its "core group of players," mentioning Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Christian Vazquez and Jackie Bradley Jr.
If this truly is the core group of players Kennedy and the Red Sox would like to build around, that leaves J.D. Martinez, Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Moreland, Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Chavis, among others, potentially up for grabs in trade discussions.
However, earlier this month Kennedy mentioned that no player is "untouchable" in trade discussions, so it remains to be seen if the Red Sox will hold on to that core group he mentioned on Friday.
Bogaerts is one of the best players in the game at his position, so it's no surprise that they'll want to hold on to him. The 27-year-old recently signed a six-year, $120 million extension to remain with Boston and hit .309 last season.
Similarly, the 23-year-old Devers, who is far better at the plate than in the field, hit .311 last season with 32 home runs.
As for players who could be on the chopping block, teams reportedly were interested in Benintendi in December, and Martinez also frequently comes up in trade rumors.
The Red Sox currently still have a shot to make the playoffs this season, though it's unlikely with how things have gone for them in the past month. If they make a trade, it'll likely benefit them in the future instead of having an immediate impact.
More must-reads: