MLB Trade Deadline 2017: 5 best spots for Zack Cozart

4. Boston Red Sox

Yes, Xander Bogaerts is firmly in place as the Red Sox shortstop, and they’ve had a significant void at third base all season. The proverbial “eye test” says Bogaerts is just fine defensively, which highlight reel plays on a regular basis, but advanced fielding metrics have not been kind to him over the last couple seasons.

Bogaerts spent some time at the hot corner early in his big league career, including 44 starts in 2014. As a 20 and 21 year-old it was thought he may physically outgrow shortstop, at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, but that has fallen by the wayside more recently.

As purely a short-term solution, Boston could make a deal for Cozart and shift Bogaerts to third for the rest of this year. That would create a fantastic left side of the infield, definitely offensively and probably defensively too, while helping keep Boston atop the AL East down the stretch.

Bogaerts may not be thrilled with the potential acquisition of Cozart, and a presumed position switch for the rest of 2017. But Dave Dombrowski is never afraid to make big moves, and the Red Sox have to do something to find a solution at third base.