The Boston Red Sox may return to the trade market to acquire more lineup reinforcements before Monday night's MLB trade deadline.
Boston attempted to bolster its offense by sending Connelly Early to the Tampa Bay Rays for Curtis Mead, but their new slugger didn't last long. Mead went on the injured list after getting hit by a pitch on the wrist in his Red Sox debut.
With a dominant July turning them from sellers into buyers, the Red Sox may now desire another infielder. An ESPN analyst proposed a short-term fix.
ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted that the Red Sox will acquire Gleyber Torres from the Detroit Tigers. Schoenfield sees the 29-year-old as a leadoff hitter in a lineup that hasn't found a permanent fixture to anchor their lineup in Roman Anthony's absence.
"The Red Sox thought they added the right-handed bat they needed in Mead, but he subsequently broke his wrist in his first game with the team," Schoenfield wrote. "The plan was to play him at second base, so Torres fits there. He doesn't have Mead's power, but his .385 OBP works just fine at the top of the lineup."
Torres is one of several prominent Tigers players in the final year of his contract. At 51-58, they may feel too much like World Series long shots to not restock their farm system by moving Tarik Skubal and Co. by Monday.
Following seven seasons with the Yankees, Torres posted a .745 OPS on a one-year deal with the Tigers in 2025. The three-time All-Star accepted the team's $22 million qualifying offer last offseason.
Torres has continued to demonstrate a keen plate approach, walking in 15 percent of his plate appearances. Yet he's also mustered just five home runs and a career-low 85.8-mph average exit velocity in 52 games.
Oblique injuries have sent Torres to the injured list twice this season. He's already struck out 12 times in nine games since returning on July 20, but Torres delivered a home run and double in Tuesday's 14-0 blowout over the Baltimore Orioles.
The Red Sox have started a different second baseman in each of their last four games, so Torres could solidify the position and help sustain their second-half comeback into a playoff push.