Red Sox should be more aggressive than reported top trade target

The Boston Red Sox have been one of, if not the most surprising team in the majors this season. They were pegged by most to finish in last place in the AL East after a very underwhelming offseason, but after sweeping the Miami Marlins, they're now a season-high eight games over .500. They're 47-39 on the season, and are not only 5.5 games behind the second-place New York Yankees in the AL East, but they're only 7.5 games back of the first-place Baltimore Orioles entering Friday's action.

As of now, the Red Sox are in sole possession of the third Wild Card spot in the AL. It's not what anyone expected, but it's what Red Sox fans deserve.

With Boston right in the thick of the postseason race, you'd think the team would want to be aggressive to ensure they get in. Unfortunately, ESPN's David Schoenfield's pick ($) for a player that the Red Sox should pursue is very underwhelming.

Red Sox need to be more aggressive than reported top target

Schoenfield's pick for who the Red Sox should pursue is Yusei Kikuchi of the Toronto Blue Jays. Does Kikuchi make them better? Absolutely. Does he make them much better than they already are? It's hard to make that argument. Schoenfield's reasoning for why Boston should prioritize Kikuchi is frustrating too.

"The Red Sox are too good to punt, but too far behind the Orioles and Yankees in the division to go all-in with a major trade that will deplete the farm system. They don't have a glaring hole, although the rotation hasn't been as dominant of late after a hot start -- plus, they'll have to worry about Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford reaching career highs in innings soon."

The Red Sox are seriously too far behind the free-falling Yankees to make any sort of move? They've trimmed the deficit to 4.5 games without Triston Casas! They're playing their best baseball of the season right now! The Red Sox don't have to trade for Luis Robert Jr. That doesn't mean they can't do better than Kikuchi.

Kikuchi is a solid mid-rotation arm who'd fit in nicely. He has a 4.12 ERA in 18 starts and 94 innings of work this season. With concerns about innings with guys like Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck, he'd be a necessary addition. Is that really all they'd do, though?

It's not like Kikuchi is a major upgrade over anyone in their rotation other than Brayan Bello who they probably don't want to move to the bullpen anyway. It's also not like the Red Sox would be guaranteed to keep him past this season since he's set to hit free agency.

Trading for Kikuchi feels like a move that Craig Breslow would make to show Red Sox fans that he's kind of serious about winning, but it's not the kind of move that would make them serious contenders. It's a move that'd require little risk since Boston wouldn't have to part with its top prospects, but it also doesn't offer much reward since he can depart after just a couple of months and again, isn't anywhere near an ace.

Teams don't win by being cautious at the trade deadline. We saw the Rangers win last season after pulling off multiple blockbusters. Breslow should either seriously try and make this team substantially better by making a big move, or opt to sell if he doesn't think they'll get there. Trading for a rental that isn't much better than what they already have just to make a move certainly isn't the answer.