In a pre-game Zoom call with reporters Friday afternoon, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom -- along with team president and CEO Sam Kennedy -- took questions on the tumultuous events in the game of baseball this week, including boycotts and renewed calls for racial justice.
With teams (mostly) back on the field Friday, Bloom was asked if the "usual rhythm of the baseball calendar'' had been disrupted over the last few days.
"I would say so,'' said Bloom, "especially given where we are in the baseball calendar and how close we are to the trade deadline. And that was the point, quite frankly.''
Still, indications are that Bloom and the Red Sox have remained quite active in trade talks. According to multiple sources, the Sox have:
• Talked to Bloom's former team, the Tampa Bay Rays, about a deal involving catcher Christian Vazquez. The Sox are not eager to move Vazquez but do not regard him as untouchable, either. Rather, they see this as an opportunity to capitalize on Vazquez's value and the fact that he's under control through 2022 at relatively modest cost ($6.25 million in 2021, with a $7 million team option for 2022).
The Rays have a desperate need behind the plate. Rays' catchers had combined to slash .156/.243/.344 going into Friday's action and Tampa Bay would like to upgrade the position. Bloom, of course, knows the Tampa Bay system from top-to-bottom having spent the previous 15 seasons in the organization and undoubtedly has some prospects he is eyeing. But one source said Bloom is in search of a "crazy'' return in exchange for Vazquez, which makes sense since Vazquez could be playing in the Sox' division for at least the next two seasons.
• The Sox are engaged with a number of teams on some of their available bullpen pieces. Having already dealt off Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree last week with the Philadelphia Phillies, the Sox are finding there's a market for Matt Barnes. Among the teams said to be most interested in Barnes are the Chicago Cubs, who often seek to upgrade their bullpen at the deadline. Barnes was part of Theo Epstein's last draft class in 2011 and the fact that Barnes has an additional year of control is also appealing.
• The Cubs are not the only team to call on Barnes. The Red Sox have also had talks with the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. The Astros have been hit hard in the bullpen with Joe Smith opting out of the season, Roberto Osuna is down for the remainder of the season because of an elbow injury and Josh James recently went on the IL with a hip injury.
• In addition, because so many teams are in contention for the expanded playoff field, the list of teams in search of bullpen depth is seemingly endless. As such, a trio of other Red Sox relievers -- lefties Josh Osich and Josh Taylor and right-hander Austin Brice -- have attracted inquiries. It would appear that the Sox would want to hang onto Taylor, since he has little service time, and despite a couple of rough outings this month, has the potential to be part of the team's bullpen for a number of years. But again, the Sox could be viewing this as a classic "sell high'' situation. Osich has been hit hard on a number of occasions, but some teams may be intrigued with a lefty who can throw in the mid-90s.
• To date, there apparently has not been much of a market developed for some of the Red Sox "rentals'' -- players headed to free agency -- including first baseman Mitch Moreland and outfielders Kevin Pillar and Jackie Bradley Jr., though that could certainly change once teams begin to focus on needs other than pitching.
