In the run-up to next week's trade deadline, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has said that he's open to anything that would make his team better. Bloom has said that he wouldn't rule out upgrading areas that appear to be strong -- in part because you can't predict when injuries may deplete at a certain position and in part because improving area of perceived weakness may not be possible.
Said Bloom earlier this week: "It's nice to be going into a situation where we don't feel like we have a gaping hole anywhere on our roster. But it also means that it's not an easy place to just pinpoint an upgrade and go shop for one specific thing. The nice thing is, what it means is, we should look at any available players. And sometimes adding to a strength helps you just as much down the stretch as bolstering a weakness because there's going to be injuries, there's going to be peaks and valleys in performance.
"So I think we have to look at any available talent and see how it can help is. You never have enough pitching, obviously. There's obviously areas of our lineup that are very well entrenched and other areas where we could improve. But I don't think we should walk past an opportunity to help ourselves in an area where we're already good because that can also help you win more games.'
Apparently, that isn't just talk.
According to an industry source, Bloom expressed an interest in dealing for Miami Marlins outfielder Starling Marte recently. The talks have not yet progressed and there are a handful of other teams with an interest in Marte.
Marte, 32, is the final year of an eight-year deal he originally signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates that pays him $12.5 million, meaning an acquiring team would be responsible for just over $4 million in salary for the remainder of the 2021 season.
The source said the Sox are hardly alone in their interest in obtaining Marte. Other teams known to have called on Marte include the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, with the Giants seen as the most persistent.
On paper, Marte would seem an odd fit for the Red Sox, who have mostly used Kike Hernandez in center for much of the season before promoting Jarren Duran last week to get some playing time at the position while Hernandez shifts to second base.
But adding Marte would give the Red Sox another plus defender at the spot -- he's won two Gold Gloves -- and one who is more experienced, too. Plus, Marte would give the Sox an additional speed element to the lineup. He's stolen 19 bases in 22 attempts this season and has 268 steals over a 10-year major league career. Overall, Marte is slashing .289/.388/.445 with seven homers and 23 RBI.
His best season came in 2019 with Pittsburgh when he compiled an .845 OPS and achieved career highs in homers (23) and RBI (82).
Obtaining Marte would naturally reduce Duran's playing opportunities this season, though he could still contribute off the bench as a left-handed hitter and pinch-runner while providing valuable depth should injuries strike anyone in the outfield. It's unknown whether the Sox would consider utilizing Duran at second, his position when they drafted him in 2017.
The Marlins have been trying to get Marte signed to an extension before the deadline, but remain open to moving him. The team's recent offer was said to be in the neighborhood of three years for $30 million, which was rejected.
Marte missed half of the 2017 season with the Pirates after failing a PED test, but is viewed around the game as a strong leader.
Oddly, the Red Sox did not discuss first baseman Jesus Aguilar, whom the Marlins are known to be shopping. In a perfect world, the Red Sox would acquire a lefthanded-hitting first baseman to platoon with Bobby Dalbec, who has struggled mightily against righties (.189/.246/.340).
Aguilar is a below-average defender at first, though he may not be any worse than Dalbec, who by some defensive metrics, is among the worst at his position this season. But Aguilar would provide a proven righthanded bat. With the Marlins this season, he's hit 17 homers with an National League-leading 68 RBI.
Additionally, Bloom was part of a front office which traded for Aguilar before. While Bloom was with the Tampa Bay Rays, Aguilar was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers for the stretch run.
