What Will The Boston Red Sox Do Regarding The 2021 MLB Trade Deadline?

The MLB trade deadline is 23 days away, and one team that a lot of people around baseball are talking about is the Boston Red Sox, who lead the AL East by four games over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston wasn't expected to be in the race in 2021, as they were coming off an awful 2020 season, and many around baseball felt that the Sox would struggle again this season.

Instead, the Sox have come out of the gate as the biggest surprise in baseball, going 18 games over .500 (54-32), good for the best record in the American League as the All-Star Game closes in.

Boston Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom spoke about how the Red Sox might approach the trade deadline.

"I think the important thing is just to stay true to the goals that got us to this place where we're trying to win as many championships as we can," Bloom said.

"This year's a big part of that, so we want to do everything we can to help this year's group. You've seen it on the field. I mean, not only have we had a lot of success, but it's a group that believes in itself and is a whole heck of a lot of fun to watch. When you have that legitimate shot at a championship, you want to do everything you can to support it.

"We're also not doing our jobs if by doing that, we make it much harder to win championships in every year that follows.

"So, it all matters. That means maybe we're walking a tightrope, but that's exactly where we want to be and as long as we stay true to that goal I think we put ourselves in position to make some moves that can help us."

The Red Sox do have some solid prospects in the minors that could be part of a bigger deal that nets them some Major League talent.

As Bloom says, when it comes to making trades, it all comes down to making sure you get value back for the players you move.

"It all depends on who, on both sides," Bloom said.

"We try to net that out as best as we can and just look at what the value is, the value of whatever we might be giving up and the value of what we'd be getting.

"Obviously, if you're getting a piece that can only help you short-term and you're giving up someone up that can help you over a much longer period of time, the names have to make sense for that to work. ... It all depends on the specifics. I don't think we should be closed off to anything."

The trade deadline in Major League Baseball falls on July 30th.