Mazz: Red Sox should prioritize a right handed hitter at the deadline

The MLB trade deadline is approaching and the Boston Red Sox should be players at the deadline. On Monday's Felger and Mazz, Mazz said the Red Sox should prioritize a right handed hitter over pitching at the deadline.

Mazz: I like the bat first. I think their vulnerability against left-handed pitching has become apparent. They can't beat lefties.  

Felger: Alex Speier writes...”over the course of the three games, several Red Sox shortcomings were exposed”... for example, against lefties the team went 11 for 56 with the slash line .196/.297/.375 and 21 strikeouts in 64 plate appearances. So again against lefties, is that right? Just this weekend? 56 at bats? I mean Paxton last night. Yeah, 11 for 56 against lefties this weekend, 21 strikeouts in 64 plate appearances, again hitting just .196. They have a 30% strikeout rate against left handers this year, easily the worst in baseball. 

Mazz: Yeah. So look, this has been a problem all year long. This is why I say just because the deadline is at the end of the month, you don't have to wait until the deadline to make a move. You've played four months, so played 2/3 of your season, and you haven't been able to hit left-handed pitching. What is the freaking hang up? Like get moving. Get someone in here. Now look, I know they lost Trevor Story, but that happened early in the year. You've had plenty of time to go out and look for a right-handed bat. So, to me, I think it's the bigger thing because I think the way the pitching works, you can kind of mix and match. A good manager can get you through there. I'm not telling you they don't need pitching. Of course they do. But I think the right-handed bat is a bigger thing. Teams look at them and say, “well, we can beat them by throwing our lefties against them”. It's like what righty in that lineup do you fear? Who do you fear?  There isn't a guy in that lineup that you say from the right-handed side really strikes fear in you and that has to change. 

Listen to Felger and Mazz from 2-6 every Monday-Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with hosts Mike Felger, Tony “Mazz” Massarotti, and Jim Murray “Big Jim”. You can listen live in the Sports Hub App and subscribe to their podcasts here. Follow @FelgerAndMazz on Twitter to keep up with the show!

It’s time for the latest Mazz’s Tiers! With the MLB trade deadline so close and with the Boston Red Sox apparently still undecided on what they will be doing at the trade deadline, Mazz decided it was time to rank some of the recent deadline acquisitions in the 2000's that the Red Sox have had! 

But before the tiers, here’s a look at some names that could appear on the list....

Jon Lester was a two-time World Series Champion with the Boston  Red Sox. Lester was a member of the Red Sox from 2006-2014 and won World Championships in 2007 and 2013. He was traded to the Oakland Athletics in July of 2014. Lester would then move on to the Chicago Cubs where he would win his third World Series ring in 2016. 

Prior to the 2018 MLB trade deadline the Red Sox acquired Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays. Eovaldi would help the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series and then go on to spend another four seasons as a member of the club. He would leave the Red Sox in free agency to join the Texas Rangers and win a World Series in 2023. 

In 2008 the Boston Red Sox traded Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three team trade. The big piece that came in return to the Red Sox in the trade was outfielder Jason Bay. Bay would spend the remainder of 2008 and the entirety of the 2009 season with Boston. 

The Red Sox acquired Eric Gagne to be the setup man for closer Jonathan Papelbon in 2007. However, the addition of Gagne turned out to be an underwhelming one, as he would post a 6.75 ERA to close out the 2007 season. He wasn’t much better in the playoffs, pitching just 4.1 innings while giving up 3 earned runs in four appearances.

2004 - Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera acquired in a four team trade that sent Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs

2004 - Dave Roberts acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for a minor leaguer 

2018 - Steve Pearce acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for Santiago Espinal

2018 - Nathan Eovaldi acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for Jalen Beeks

2021 - Kyle Schwarber acquired from the Washington Nationals for a minor leaguer 

2009 - Victor Martinez acquired from the Detroit Tigers for Justin Masterson 

2013 - Jake Peavy acquired in a three team trade. Jose Iglesias was traded to the Detroit Tigers in the deal

2008 - Manny Ramirez traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three team trade. Jason Bay was acquired by the Red Sox from the Pittsburgh Pirates

2007 - Eric Gagne acquired from Texas Rangers for Kason Gabbard 

2014 - Jon Lester traded to Oakland Athletics for Yoenis Cespedes 

2014 - John Lackey traded to St. Louis Cardinals for Allen Craig and Joe Kelly