Why Red Sox should target versatile Angels infielder at trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
If the Boston Red Sox are buyers at the MLB trade deadline later this month, they should listen to Kenley Jansen and make a starting pitcher and a right-handed bat their top two priorities.
But who should the Red Sox pursue at those two positions?
Our Red Sox Insider John Tomase recently shared a list of five starting pitchers who might interest Boston on the trade market, and on Thursday, he provided a potential target on the hitting side: Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo.
Rengifo currently is on the injured list with a wrist ailment but appears to have avoided serious injury and could return to action soon. If the 38-55 Angels go into sell mode, the 27-year-old switch-hitter would fit the profile of what Boston needs.
“He was a borderline All-Star until he got hurt,” Tomase said of Rengifo on Arbella Early Edition, as seen in the video player above. “He gives you help defensively in the middle infield, and he’s that right-handed bat, maybe not power, but average for sure. You just need another guy who can help you against lefties.”
The Red Sox have an overwhelmingly left-handed lineup, which explains why they’re just 12-14 with a .247 team batting average against lefties this season. Rengifo would help solve that problem: He’s hitting .380 with a .955 OPS as a right-handed hitter facing lefties in 2024.
Rengifo also is a plus defender and would be an overall upgrade over Enmanuel Valdez, David Hamilton and Romy Gonzalez at second base. The Venezuela native can run as well — his 22 steals through 69 games are already a career-high — which would make him a great fit on a team that ranks second in the American League with 88 steals.
Rengifo likely would cost Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow a pair of prospects, but you can make the case he’s worth the cost for a Boston club that’s 10 games over .500 as of Friday and could make a serious playoff push with the right additions before July 30.