Boston Red Sox fans may be more excited for this season than they’ve been in a long time, but they also aren’t really sure who their team’s closer will be.
Entering camp, the competition looked like it was Liam Hendriks’ to lose, with Aroldis Chapman and Justin Slaten also in the mix. But only Slaten has inspired confidence, while Hendriks has gotten hammered so far by opposing hitters.
Would the Red Sox, who appear to finally be all-in on making a playoff push, consider making a last-minute trade to secure a more reliable closer? One Major League Baseball writer believes they should do just that.
In a recent trade hypothetical, FanSided’s Zach Pressnell proposed that the Red Sox could land San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez, an All-Star entering year three of a five-year, $46 million deal (with an opt-out after this season) for prospects Yoeilin Cespedes, Miguel Bleis, and Hunter Dobbins.
“While this could seem like an overpay on the surface, it’s important to realize the Padres hold all the leverage here,” Pressnell wrote. “Boston desperately needs a closer and the Padres don’t have to trade Suarez. It would take a haul to bring him to Boston and the Red Sox can afford to give this package of prospects up.
“Boston would land the star closer it needs. While Suarez is heading into free agency at the end of the year, there’s no reason the Red Sox wouldn’t be able to re-sign him in the offseason.”
It’s rare that you’ll find this author argue against trading away top prospects when a team has a concrete need. But this is one of the rare exceptions, because any of the three players Pressnell has Boston giving up could make the team regret it; Dobbins as soon as this season.
There’s no guarantee that Suarez, who is 34 and pitched to a 5.66 ERA in his final 21 appearances last season, will be better than a young pitcher like Slaten this season. And the kicker is that if he does have a strong season, he’ll immediately opt out of his contract and the Red Sox will be stuck searching for a closer again.
The Red Sox can afford to take their time figuring out the closer question early in the season. A Suarez trade should only happen if and when Boston gets to the trade deadline and urgently needs a new ninth-inning solution.
