Deadline Coverage: Red Sox Bolster Their Already-Great Offense

Jeff Zimmerman and I will be covering the fantasy relevant deals this week, highlighting the winners and losers and pointing out the actionable items for you in your leagues.

BOS gets: OF/DH… 1B? Kyle Schwarber

WAS gets: RHP Aldo Ramirez

Schwarber is still on the IL nursing a right hamstring strain he suffered in early July. The latest is that he been jogging a bit but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s due back soon. He is expected back before the end of the year, but this is definitely a playoff move for the Red Sox.

It is hard to assess things before Schwarber is ready to return, but I would believe this is bad news for Jarren Duran with Alex Verdugo moving to center and Schwarber in left. Duran has struggled mightily in 37 PA so far with a 29 wRC+ and 32% K rate. The time between now and Schwarber’s return will essentially be his audition to stick around. If he does somehow turn it around, I wonder if the Red Sox could see Schwarber as a first base option.

He apparently stood there once but doesn’t have any formal experience as far as I can tell. And it’s not just as simple as putting someone there and they will automatically get it, but Schwarber is an adept defender and I think he could take to 1B well. But again, that really only becomes an option if Duran turns it around. In Washington, this will keep Gerardo Parra in the outfield even once Schwarber is healthy but that isn’t particularly fantasy relevant.

Ramirez was 14th in Boston’s system and he’s a decent arm who is still young enough to develop. If he continues to improve his command, he can reach a backend starter’s future and he is having a productive season at A-ball, particularly with the command. He has a 6% BB rate and 0.3 HR/9 in 31 IP while also fanning 25% of his batters with a 2.03 ERA/1.13 WHIP.

It might not feel like a huge get for how good Schwarber was playing, but in addition to being hurt, power corner infielders just aren’t going to draw major returns, even in a seller’s market like this. Ramirez instantly becomes a top 10 prospect for the Nats, though that speaks more to their thin system than Ramirez’s upside. It’s a solid trade.