The Red Sox could use a left-handed hitting first baseman to fill out their lineup for an increasingly inevitable playoff run. And Anthony Rizzo is a great fit.
On ESPN Sunday, Buster Olney predicted the Red Sox would reacquire Rizzo by Friday’s trade deadline.
“They saw Tampa Bay go out and make that big deal for Nelson Cruz to get that one hitter who is absolutely perfect in the middle of their lineup,” Olney said. “They are having a great season. They know they have Chris Sale coming back, he looks tremendous. But they could use some bullpen help, and they could use some help at first base. Anthony Rizzo checks every box.”
Though the Cubs may not be traditional sellers, Rizzo is a prime trade candidate, because he’s in the final year of his deal. The 31-year-old is slashing .248/.346/.441 this season.
Chaim Bloom may not be keen on surrendering assets for a rental, but his calculations could change with the Red Sox now on 99-win pace. First base is the biggest weak point in Boston’s lineup, with Bobby Dalbec failing to lock down the every day job.
When Dalbec is out, Alex Cora employs a motley crew at the position. Michael Chavis and Danny Santana are the two primary fill-ins.
Rizzo’s presence would allow the Red Sox to sit Dalbec against righties, and provide them with some needed playoff experience. He has 146 postseason at-bats in his career.
“You know his heart rate in October would be 60 instead of 160,” Olney said.
On "The Greg Hill Show" Tuesday, Lou Merloni also said Rizzo makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox.
Oh, and there’s also the storybook part of this, for those who care. Rizzo emerged as one of the Red Sox’s top prospects in the late aughts before they traded him as part of the package to land Adrian Gonzalez. Interestingly enough, Theo Epstein reacquired Rizzo when he was running the Cubs in 2012.
And now, Rizzo could return to Boston and do what he was once pegged to do: play at Fenway in October.