MLB writer names Athletics DH as Red Sox ideal trade target

The Boston Red Sox have already begun adding to the MLB trade deadline as they acquired left-handed pitcher James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

However, the team could certainly use more help as they try to make a playoff push in the remaining 60 games of the regular season.

In a recent post, USA Today’s Gabe Lacques listed six deadline deals that would make sense for contenders, and for the Red Sox he picked a right-handed hitter as their biggest need and offered designated hitter as their matchup of the Oakland Athletics Brent Rooker.

Rooker, 29, was the 35th overall pick of the Minnesota Twins in the 2017 MLB draft. He debuted in Minnesota in 2020 before being traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022 and then to Kansas City Royals later in the year.

After the 2022 season, the Royals designated Rooker for assignment and the Athletics claimed him.

Rooker was an All-Star in 2023, and this year, he hit .288 with a .948 OPS, 25 home runs, 72 RBI and six stolen bases. He has played left field, right field and designated hitter throughout his career, giving a team some flexibility for him.

After the 2024 season, Rooker has three more years of arbitration, meaning he could be the present-and-future piece that Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been looking for.

Boston’s roster is loaded with left-handed hitters, as seven of their 13 hitters hit from the left side. Adding Rooker could be the piece they need to really contend for not only a postseason spot, but the American League East as well.