Just over a month ago, the Tampa Bay Rays were one game back of the AL East lead, while the Boston Red Sox were scuffling along, below .500, only ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in the division. If you told fans of each team at that point that the inter-division rivals would make a trade at the deadline, it probably wouldn't come as a huge shock. But if you told them that Tampa would be the team selling to the Red Sox... that would have been baffling.
But as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, that seems like the much more likely outcome. In the past month, the Red Sox have gotten scorching hot and the Rays have fallen all the way down to 53-52, right on the border of "sell" territory.
If they do end up selling, Yandy Díaz could be the biggest piece to go. He'd fetch quite a return from a contending team hoping to add one of the more reliable bats in the American League — like the Red Sox, "who will almost certainly be at the top of the list of teams interested," if Díaz is on the market, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Mock trade: Red Sox add Yandy Díaz for two prospects
The Password is on the move. I know Red Sox fans are thrilled about Garcia's future with the team, but adding a bat like Díaz, a star who is under club control through 2027, doesn't come cheap.
In this deal, the Sox give up Garcia (No. 90 on MLB Top 100 prospects) and lefty Jojo Ingrassia (No. 26 Red Sox prospect). Garcia might be ready by next season and would give the Rays yet another young star in the organization alongside Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero. He's hitting .280 this season at Triple-A with 14 home runs, and the pop is evident when you watch him play.
Ingrassia is a potential bullpen arm of the future for Tampa, and although he's on the IL right now, could be ready to pitch in the bigs by next season too, meaning this trade could pay dividends quickly for both sides.
Yandy Díaz would solve the Red Sox first base problems
There are plenty of first base options available at the trade deadline, and Boston has been linked to plenty of them; Ryan O'Hearn is another AL East option the Sox have been linked to, but a recent cold stretch could give them pause before pulling the trigger there. Josh Naylor was traded to the Mariners, so he's off the table. Carlos Santana might be dealt but he is on the downswing of his career.
All things considered, Díaz might be the best combination of immediate production and team control. He would be a perfect fit for a team that's come on strong in recent weeks, and could be the last piece needed for a legit playoff run in the fall.
Whether Tampa would want to help Boston improve this year and next year, though, remains a question. And whether Boston would have any interest shipping out such a promising talent like Garcia, especially to a team they see so often, also remains to be seen.
Still, these teams, which are heading in different directions, might be able to work out one of the blockbusters of deadline season in the next few days.