A Red Sox-Marlins trade that pushes Boston firmly into playoffs

The Boston Red Sox are in quite a weird spot right now. They have two options: sell expiring pieces of their team and rebuild or jump on some trade targets and attempt to climb back into the AL East race in June.

If they want to attempt to fight for the AL East, with powerhouses like the Yankees and Orioles, they'll need to go out and make some major trades. One place to start would be continuing to bolster up their pitching, which has already been a strong suit.

The Marlins are almost guaranteed to move their ace, Jesus Luzardo, at the deadline this year, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Luzardo comes with team control for the next 2.5 seasons and is just 26 years old.

The Red Sox should absolutely take a long look into trading for him. It could increase their playoff chances a ton.

A Red Sox-Marlins trade that sends Jesus Luzardo to Boston

Now, Luzardo would be quite the expensive piece to make a move for. The lefty is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher already, at just 26 years old. He comes with team control and incredible potential. So, it wouldn't be cheap for Boston. But being cheap is exactly how you stay uncompetitive in the AL East.

A trade like this might take the Red Sox's fourth, 10th and 23rd-ranked prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. But the other option is to remain in mediocrity and that shouldn't be on the table for Boston.

Bleis is an explosive talent who's above average at every level of the game of baseball. He has a ton of raw power with plenty of room to continue adding muscle to his frame. His glove and speed in the outfield give him the ability to play a rangy center field. He's the centerpiece for this trade as his ceiling is tremendous.

Richard Fitts provides the Marlins with a high-floor, high-ceiling pitching prospect who could come in and replace Luzardo in the Marlins' rotation as soon as a trade is finalized. He gives them more stability in this trade.

Down the board, Johanfran Garcia is the Red Sox fourth-highest-rated catcher in their system. Garcia could work his way through the system, but it's hard to do so in a Boston farm system that's loaded with catchers.

As for Luzardo, his ceiling, youth, talent and controllability make it acceptable for Boston to part ways with these three prospects. He'd add to one of the most consistent pitching staffs in the league, giving them a left-handed option and allowing more flexibility down the stretch.

The Red Sox need to get aggressive, whether it's buying or selling. Sitting in the middle, like they're doing, isn't an option. If they become aggressive buyers, adding Jesus Luzardo in a deal like this makes sense. Even if they don't compete this year, Luzardo would remain with them for two more seasons, at the very least.