Red Sox AL East Rival Needs Enormous Trade Deadline Deal, MLB Insider Says

The Boston Red Sox head to Philadelphia Monday to open a three-game series with the first-place Phillies. Alex Cora’s club arrives in the City of Brotherly Love tied for second place in the American League Wild Card standings, two games behind the front-running New York Yankees.

Both clubs figure to be active ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. But who is more in need of a move by the trade deadline: Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow or Yankees general manager Brian Cashman?

The answer provided Sunday by ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian might surprise you.

“(The Yankees) went to the World Series last year and lost. They got off to a great start this year, had a healthy lead in the American League East, got caught by the Rays and now have been caught and passed by the Blue Jays. The Yankees, without Clarke Schmidt the rest of the year, need a starting pitcher,” Kurkjian said.

“And even though they lead the American League in runs scored, they need another bat in the lineup,” Kurkjian added. “They need an everyday third baseman. Eugenio Suarez of the Diamondbacks seems to fit in perfectly there.

“The pressure on the Yankees is always enormous to win, especially with the Mets in the same town. And just finishing with a wild card isn’t good enough for the Yankees. They have to go do something at the trade deadline,” Kurkjian concluded.

Much like the Yankees, the Red Sox are shopping for starting pitching after losing Hunter Dobbins to a torn ACL and placing Tanner Houck back on the injured list.

And much like the Yankees, the Red Sox are in the market for a bat. New York’s need is at third base, Boston at first.

And much like the Yankees, the Red Sox would no doubt love to add some fresh arms to the bullpen.

The next 10 days promise to be a sprint to the finish ahead of the trade deadline. Question is, which AL East club will get there with the most improved roster?