FanPost Friday - Addressing Team Weaknesses

In around a month, the July 31st trade deadline will be here. The first major salvo of that trade market has already been fired, as the Nationals acquired Kelvin Herrera, a prime target for many Sox fans.

With him off the board, trade season is definitely here, whether we like it or not. Hundreds of names will be tossed around over the next 30+ days, and our goal today is not to identify specific names the Red Sox may or may not be in on. Instead, our goal is to identify potential concerns.

So I ask you this simple question:

What do you believe is the biggest need for the Red Sox at the trade deadline? Is it an improvement at third base? Center-field? Do we need a bullpen arm? Is a new primary second baseman in the cards?

We’re not looking for a specific name as a target, but for a more vague and general direction. Here’s an example:

“I believe the weakest aspect of our team is at second base. I believe we should acquire an improvement at __________ because _____________. Once we acquire our new ______________, our team will be better, as we have improved our ___________. This type of upgrade will be what puts us over the top and helps us beat the Yankees.”

I’d obviously prefer more depth than what I just wrote above, and more variety, but this is a good general fill in the blank exercise if you find yourself struggling to come up with a base wording. I’ll be going over each of these in depth, and next month, once we get closer to the trade deadline proper, we will be going over more specific targets. This week is just about figuring out our weaknesses.

Another way you can address this is by choosing NOT to make a move at all. Is the help on the way, internally? Do you believe Durbin Feltman is so good he’ll make it to the majors this year? The solution doesn’t have to come via trade. It can be a free agent, a role change for a player in the lineup, or a simple shifting of the order of the lineup.

Hope to hear from you all!