Tony Massarotti says, short of an ace like Max Scherzer, the Red Sox should focus on acquiring a first baseman at the trade deadline, not a starting pitcher, and makes the case for trading for Anthony Rizzo.
The Boston Red Sox don't look like the favorites to trade for Max Scherzer, but that's not due to a lack of interest.
While the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are the "front-runners" to acquire the Washington Nationals ace, The Athletic's Jim Bowden reports the Red Sox, San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays are still in the mix.
According to Bowden, Boston's interest in Scherzer comes from the top.
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Tomase: The forces working against Scherzer coming to Boston
"Boston ownership is encouraging chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom to make a push for Scherzer, as they’re dreaming of Chris Sale and Scherzer joining the starting rotation of the first-place Red Sox," Bowden wrote.
Scherzer's talent is undeniable -- he's an eight-time All-Star with a 2.83 ERA and 142 strikeouts on the season -- and he'll be a free agent after the season. So, Boston could splurge on the 37-year-old with no long-term commitment to make a legitimate run at a World Series title.
Splurging hasn't been Bloom's style since joining the Red Sox, however. The former Rays executive has focused on rebuilding Boston's farm system and adding players on team-friendly deals with an eye on making the Red Sox competitive for years to come.
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Our John Tomase reported that Boston is open to exceeding the $210 million luxury tax threshold, so adding Scherzer isn't out of the question, especially if Bloom gets a strong push from owners John Henry and Tom Werner.
But Tomase also reported that Scherzer has a "clear preference" to play for a contender on the West Coast, so the Red Sox may have to up their asking price to convince him to come to Boston, and if that asking price includes some of the team's top prospects, it seems unlikely Bloom would be willing to make a deal.
The MLB trade deadline is Friday at 4 p.m. ET, so time is of the essence as Bloom decides how much to invest in his overachieving club.