The MLB Trade Deadline is rapidly approaching on August 3rd, and the Boston Red Sox have completely flipped the script. From obvious sellers to potential buyers, the Red Sox are .500 and ready to make a playoff run. The question is just about who they’re going to bring in at the deadline.
Reporting in The Athletic from Will Sammon and Spencer Nusbaum pointed out one possibility. The Red Sox could be in on Washington Nationals infielder Luis García Jr.
“To that point, the resurgent Boston Red Sox were once thought of as potential sellers,” The Athletic wrote. “But after a torrid run, they profile as a fit for García, who has played mostly first base this season but also has experience playing second base.”
The Nationals themselves are in an interesting spot. They’ve taken a major step forward, but clearly need pitching help to get over the hump. So, finding a way to quickly bring that in might be smart. However, they won’t want to do a complete tear down.
Other teams will likely be involved on García, too. In particular, because of his versatility as an infielder.
In 90 games this season, García has played 79 at first base. That’s after he had primarily been a second basemen for the first six seasons of his MLB career. In fact, he played in better than 121 games at second base for each of the last three seasons. On top of that, he has played some shortstop. Due to injuries, that middle of the infield is likely where the Red Sox would want to play him.
García is hitting .284 with a .317 OBP, a .554 slugging percentage and an .871 OPS. He also has 2o home runs and 68 RBIs.
The Boston Red Sox Were Tied to Another Washington Nationals Star
GettyLuis García Jr. and James Wood of the Washington Nationals
While Luis García Jr. is the latest Washington Nationals star tied to the Boston Red Sox, he’s also far from the only one. In fact, James Wood was recently tied to the Red Sox, too.
For now, Wood to the Red Sox is just a rumor. It’s also one that makes a bit less sense that García does. After all, he’s an outfielder, and the Red Sox already have more outfielders than they know what to do with. On top of that, he’d also go for a massive price.
This season, Wood is hitting .278 with a .409 OBP, a .570 slugging percentage, and a .978 OPS. He has 28 home runs and 66 RBIs this year, and was an All-Star for the second-straight season. He also has plenty of team control left.
Wood was a key piece of the Juan Soto trade back in 2022. That sent Soto to the San Diego Padres.
The Red Sox are Right in the Playoff Hunt
GettyBoston Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow
Going into the All-Star break, the Boston Red Sox had won nine-straight games. That still wasn’t good enough to be at .500, but in a very weak American League, it did put the Red Sox back the Wild Card hunt. The only question was if they could sustain it in the second half.
It’s early, but after opening the second half with two wins in a double-header over the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston is back to .500.
That’s good for third in the AL East. It’s also good for fourth in the Wild Card race, or one spot outside of a playoff spot. The Minnesota Twins currently hold that spot with a .500 record and having dominated the Red Sox earlier in the season themselves.
That means that it’s time to buy for the Red Sox. Do that right, and they should be ready to make a run at the playoffs again in 2026.
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