The Boston Red Sox desperately need to find a new first baseman following Triston Casas' brutal knee injury that required surgery. While it would make sense for Boston to use Rafael Devers at the spot, the superstar has seemingly shot the idea down. That'll lead them to the trade market and the best two options are within their own division.
The best options for the Red Sox to look into are Tampa Bay Rays infield Yandy Diaz and Baltimore Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle. Both guys have the ability to play first base at a high level. They're big time upgrades over what Boston has right now and they would be relatively affordable for the Red Sox to bring in.
But there's one major catch. The big catch here is obvious. Both Mountcastle and Diaz play within the Red Sox's division, the American League East, and they play on teams that are somewhat competitive.
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Red Sox dream trade targets may be tougher to acquire than expected
Mountcastle, an Oriole, is struggling this year. The Orioles have plenty of first base depth behind him so trading the slugger shouldn't be a huge deal. Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo are right behind Mountcastle and seemingly ready to take over as the everyday option in Baltimore. But it will be difficult for the Orioles to trade a slugger like the veteran to the Red Sox, when the Orioles know they'll matchup with him in the future if they do.
It's the same situation with Diaz. The Rays are seemingly on the verge of contending if they can make a few positive moves. Trading Diaz would work because they have depth at first base in their organization, but it's hard to imagine them trading a talented star like him to the Red Sox.
Either way, intra-division trades still happen. They may be quite rare, but they're still possible. The Red Sox might have to part ways with a big league talent like Vaughn Grissom or Ceddenne Rafaela in order to land a big league talent like Mountcastle or Diaz. The Red Sox need to find a way to bring in a slugger because what they have at the position right now isn't going to work.