1 trade Red Sox must make to stick it to the Yankees

The Boston Red Sox have won seven straight games. They could make matters even better with one trade to put their rival at a real disadvantage. 

You’ll have to forgive Yankee fans for not shaking in their boots regarding the electric start from the Boston Red Sox. New York remains expected to win the AL East once they get it all together, as some tough injuries paired with ugly hitting technique has placed the Bronx Bombers in an early division deficit.

Yet, the Red Sox have turned some late offseason excitement regarding the re-hiring of Alex Cora into a 7-3 start through ten games. The Yankees sit in second place by two games as of this writing.

So, how can the Red Sox turn a hot start into a prolonged postseason run? Why not acquire a former trade target, who just so happens to still be available?

The Boston Red Sox should reignite trade talks for Kris Bryant

Bryant is off to a solid start for the Cubs, with an early-season slash line up to .265/.375/.647. More advanced statistics show that those numbers could be viable to decrease a bit, which gives the Cubs even more incentive to trade him right now, rather than wait around for the trade deadline.

In the summer of 2020, Boston called Chicago about a trade for Bryant, but ultimately decided not to go for the Cubs’ demands. It’s like those same demands have gone down significantly since then, in part due to Bryant’s production but mostly due to time. Bryant is in the last year of his deal, and likely won’t re-sign with the Cubs. They’ll need to trade him by the deadline or risk losing him for nothing.

Where to play Bryant remains a significant question. Rafael Devers plays third base, and J.D. Martinez has the designated hitter spot locked down after his electric start to the season. But with a player of Bryant’s caliber, that’s a good problem to have. Even if he’s just a rental, Bryant does have some outfield experience and could play in front of the monster should Boston wish to go that route.

At the very least, the move would raise some eyebrows in the Bronx.