Red Sox rumors: Boston could sell but it won’t be on these players

The Boston Red Sox could very well be sellers at the trade deadline, but it’s unlikely to involve two of their biggest stars.

Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers are off-limits, if you can believe it. Boston is doing the right thing by keeping two of the game’s biggest stars off the open trade market.

The question remains, though: Is their tenure in Boston coming to an end regardless?

Devers has some time left on his deal, so the Sox will have their star third baseman for at least another season. Bogaerts, however, can opt out after this season and is likely to do so. Boston has made little effort to re-sign him on his terms.

Despite some early-season trade rumors, the Sox are content to let this ride out. If the offer doesn’t change, Bogaerts will sign elsewhere, and Boston will be left with nothing.

Red Sox trade deadline plans

Boston’s trade deadline plans are a mystery to even them, as depending on how the Sox perform over the next week, they could find themselves right back in an AL Wild Card spot.

The third Wild Card changes everything, as even mediocre-at-best teams have every reason to be buyers and contend for a playoff spot.

With their win on Monday night, the Sox are just three games back of the Seattle Mariners for the third Wild Card spot. Another bad week might be enough to convince Chaim Bloom to sell off some spare parts in contract years, such as Nathan Eovaldi and JD Martinez.

Devers and Bogaerts appear safe, if only because fans would riot outside Fenway Park if their were traded prior to any real semblance of long-term contract negotiations.