Boston Red Sox: Three players to trade

The Boston Red Sox are terrible. Like, the kind of terrible that allows the fan base to simply enjoy the summer and forget about their lousy baseball team, because there is no hope of coming back. The front office tried to build a contender for 2015 with the signings of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, along with the acquisition of starting pitcher Rick Porcello.

Instead, Boston is 33-43, the worst team in the American League. The hitting is spotty at best, the pitching is truly awful, and the vibe is a dead team walking with a bunch of old guys collecting checks. For years, Fenway Park was one of the most electric places to watch a game. Now? They should turn off the lights.

With Dustin Pedroia on the disabled list, David Ortiz is hitting a robust .230, and Sandoval is getting busted for using Instagram during games, the season is about salvaging whatever dignity they can and getting assets for the future. With that in mind, here are three players the Red Sox should trade off before the July 31 deadline.

1. Rick Porcello

Some might say that Porcello represents hope for the future, but has he ever been a terrific pitcher? While he’s only 26 years old, pundits have been saying Porcello has ample potential, but yet has been on three teams in the last year. At some point, you need to put up or shutup.

Porcello could fetch a decent haul from a contender who needs another arm. The Texas Rangers might be interested, especially if they can’t land Cole Hamels. Porcello isn’t Hamels by any stretch, but also would keep the farm system from being completely robbed. Porcello is having a brutal year with a 4-8 record and 5.54 ERA, but if he can string together a good three of four starts, somebody will take a flier.

2. Wade Miley

Miley is not an ace by any measure, but he’s a decent arm who could fit into the middle of the rotation for a contender. This year, Miley has been a disappointment in his first campaign for Boston, amassing a 7-7 record and a 4.38 ERA. Miley is in the first year of a three-year, $19.25 million deal, upping his value because he is not a rental.

Miley won’t bring in a huge haul of prospects, but could get the Red Sox one solid prospect and another wild card. With the current state of Boston’s major league team, it might be worth the gamble.

3. Junichi Tazawa

Tazawa, 29, is the best relief pitcher the Red Sox have. He could definitely help out the back end of someone’s bullpen, especially the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros and Rangers. Tazawa is not a lockdown reliever but can provide solid innings and a bridge to the closer.

Ultimately, the Red Sox have to unload some of their decent pitchers and Tazawa represents the best of the bunch.