The Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants came together on a deal last season around an infielder. Should they look to do so again?
For Boston, it's no secret that the club is struggling on offense. In fact, Boston actually has one of the worst offenses in baseball right now. That's where the Giants could come into play to help.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden shared a column in which he looked for ways to improve struggling contenders around the league. For Boston, he threw out four names to consider ahead of the trade deadline, including Giants infielder Matt Chapman.
"The Red Sox need a third baseman," Bowden wrote. "The Astros (Carlos Correa, Isaac Paredes), Twins (Royce Lewis) and Giants (Matt Chapman) could make sense as possible trade partners. The Sox have enough in their farm system to make a deal work. Then they could use Durbin as a super-utility player or second baseman, which would be better roles for him.
"Without adding a bat, however, I’m not sure the Red Sox have enough offense to compete for the division. Of the issues they can solve internally, getting Crochet back on track and Gray healthy, are their two most pressing agenda items."
Chapman has had a solid season so far and is slashing .246/.324/.331 with one homer, 12 RBIs, 14 walks, six doubles and one triple in 34 games played. Fenway Park is a much more forgiving ballpark than Oracle Park, so you'd imagine Chapman's numbers would theoretically be better in Boston. On top of that, he's a five-time Gold Glove Award winner at the hot corner. If the Giants are listening, it may be worth taking a look at the veteran.