Following a day that saw a number of American League contenders make bold moves, the Red Sox finally got into the trade deadline action late Thursday night, acquiring outfielder Kyle Schwarber from the Washington Nationals in exchange for righthanded pitching prospect Aldo Ramirez.
Schwarber is a powerful lefthanded bat for a team that leans righthanded, and has plus-power -- as evidenced by a recent run that saw him hit 12 homers in the span of 10 games in late June. For the season, Schwarber was slashing .253/.340/.570 for the Nationals with 25 homers and 53 RBI.
His .910 OPS is the best of his career.
But Schwarber, 28, is currently on the IL with a hamstring strain and is probably a minimum of 10 days away from being healthy enough to play. And when he is healthy, there's the matter of how the Red Sox fit him into the lineup.
Ideally, Schwarber would serve as a DH, since he profiles as a below-average defender in the outfield. But with Hunter Renfroe in right, Alex Verdugo in left and either Kike Hernandez or Jarren Duran in center, the Sox would be regressing defensively at all three positions with Schwarber.
It's conceivable that the Sox could return Duran to the minors until September when rosters expand, with Schwarber handling left, Verdugo sliding over to center and Hernandez being utilized almost exclusively at second base.
A catcher in college, Schwarber hasn't been behind the plate much in the big leagues, with just 26 games there spread over seven seasons. It's highly doubtful the Sox would ask Schwarber to catch in other than an emergency, especially since he's unfamiliar with the current staff.
The Sox' biggest positional need is at first base, though Schwarber's experience there is almost non-existent. It's possible, however, the Sox could work him out there and see if he's sufficient enough to contribute there.
From a payroll standpoint, Schwarber's arrival also brings the Sox to within a hair of -- without going over -- the first CBT threshold, with $3.3 million in salary remaining for 2021. That would seem to limit how much more the Red Sox can do before Friday's 4 p.m. deadline. It's conceivable the Sox could make another acquisition before the deadline -- specifically, for their bullpen -- but that will require them to give up a better prospect package in order for the other team to retain all of the remaining salary.
Schwarber signed a one-year deal with the Nats last winter for a $7 million base, an $11.5-million option for 2022 and a $3 million buyout. For luxury tax purposes, his annual average value is $10 million for 2021, leaving $3.3 million still to be paid by the Sox.
The swap came after a frenetic day of activity within the American League, with the New York Yankees landing first baseman Anthony Rizzo from the Chicago Cubs, a day after the Yankees acquired slugger Joey Gallo.
The Red Sox had some discussions with the Cubs about Rizzo, who would have filled a more obvious need for the Sox. The team's offensive output at first ranks 28th overall in MLB, and Rizzo, even at 32, is a plus defender at first base. Still, according to an industry source, the Sox and Cubs never got too far in their discussions about Rizzo.
The two acquisitions for the Yankees help make their roster a bit more balanced -- they were overwhelmingly righthanded with their lineup -- and more athletic. Gallo, like Rizzo, is a good defender in the outfield and can play a number of different positions.
The day also saw the Red Sox miss out on Max Scherzer, who, together with Trea Turner, was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deadline blockbuster. The Sox were viewed as longshots to pull off a deal for Scherzer, who would have added a top-of-the-rotation piece to their rotation.
In giving up the 20-year-old Ramirez, the Red Sox are dealing away a starter who has moved up the prospect ranks. He's currently pitching at Low A Salem and is on the IL with elbow tendinitis. By most rankings, he was somewhere in the 15-20 range of top Red Sox prospects with his profile rising.
Still, the Red Sox have improved their starter depth enough in the last year -- through a series of trades -- to feel comfortable enough to sacrifice Ramirez, whose rights the Red Sox purchased from the Mexican League in 2018.