Red Sox could make Nolan Arenado trade much more favorable with one addition

If you're a frustrated fan of the Boston Red Sox watching the current plans to address the right-handed hole in the lineup, you're not alone. Alex Bregman seems to be sitting there on a platter for Craig Breslow and Co. to snatch up and have infield versatility with a right-handed bat that has raked at Fenway Park. Instead, it seems like things are trending toward a Nolan Arenado trade.

John Denton of MLB.com furthered reports that Arenado and the Red Sox were on track currently to end up together, confirming that the Gold Glove third baseman would waive his no-trade clause for Boston. He also added that the Red Sox are now considered a "strong candidate" and could pull out of the Bregman sweepstakes as well.

Perhaps the most distressing part of Denton's latest report is that Boston could make trading for Arenado contingent upon trading Triston Casas, moving Rafael Devers to first base, then slotting Arenado — who the Red Sox also reportedly would want the St. Louis Cardinals to eat a "sizable chunk of the money still owed" — at third.

I've long not been a fan of trading Casas or moving Devers anywhere other than DH, even if not yet. Moreover, Arenado has shown more decline than what worries many people about Bregman and, more worryingly, doesn't solve the Red Sox issues against left-handed pitching given that he's posted reverse splits in each of the past two seasons.

It would, however, improve the defense drastically at third base and moving Casas, though I resist the premise, would bring back more pitching help in an ideal world. However, there's one thing more than any of that and even more so than keeping Casas that could make this a win for Boston.

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Red Sox need to work Ryan Helsley into Nolan Arenado trade

Another report from Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive on Monday connected the Red Sox to the top-end bullpen arms, specifically Tanner Scott. But if there's a world in which Boston could not take on a huge amount of Arenado's salary and also get closer Ryan Helsley to the Red Sox, that would make things a lot more palatable.

While that would certainly increase the prospect or young player capital that the Red Sox would have to send back to St. Louis in such a trade, almost surely parting with a Wilyer Abreu and plenty more, that could still be feasible for an increasingly deep farm system, even after the Garrett Crochet trade earlier this offseason.

Furthermore, adding a reliever like Helsley would give the Red Sox something fans haven't seen in quite some time: One of the best bullpens in baseball. Boston would have Helsley on the back end and surrounded by Liam Hendriks, Justin Slaten, Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock and other young arms and innings-eaters. With the improvements to the rotation as well, that could be massive.

Let me again say that I would still prefer that Boston avoid the Arenado plan altogether. Bregman is a more ideal option, especially if you can initially put him at second base. He's also younger with Gold Glove defense as well, albeit at third and not second. Then you could look to add a reliever in free agency still if Sam Kennedy wasn't blowing hot air about the CBT earlier in the offseason or potentially eye a trade for one using prospect capital.

At the end of the day, though, I could at least sleep better at night if the Red Sox are able to get somethiing more than just Arenado from the Cardinals in the way of Helsley. While Arenado might not be the fix that Bregman could be for the lineup, his marginal improvements combined with the addition of Helsley would be a much larger net positive.