The Red Sox were prompted to acquire the athletic All-Star slugger in a surprising trade

The Boston Red Sox lineup could use a boost with the playoffs a real possibility this year.

Boston is just one game behind the Kansas City Royals for the final American League Wild Card spot and has already improved by landing James Paxton in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It wouldn’t hurt to add a little more, and Boston’s lineup could use some work.

The Red Sox have dealt with a multitude of impact injuries this year, so their lineup isn’t at the level they expected it to be, and yet they’ve found ways to win games. Boston’s lineup is heavily left-handed, with Triston Casas and Trevor Story both injured.

That could change in the coming days, and USA Today’s Gabe Lacques has named the Red Sox a match for Oakland Athletics All-Star slugger Brent Rooker.

“The surprise wild card holders in the American League need help, but almost everyone else does, and first-year GM Craig Breslow has indicated multiple times that a righty bat is a priority,” he said Lacques. “As stupid as he is at this time of year, we’ll take him at his word. You can see the logic: Tyler O’Neill is off again — with 20 home runs and a 10-for-23, four-Hor binge in five games since the All-Star break — but could use another righty stick to balance the formation.

“Import another bat and Boston could be an impossible late-inning matchup with a three-batter minimum rule: Jarren Duran (L), New Guy (R), Rafael Devers (L), O’Neill (R), Masataka Yoshida (L). The Red Sox farm system is middle of the pack and doesn’t have the sales prospects teams covet, but that’s virtually indistinguishable from all the contenders, and years of ineptitude means the pantry is full enough to win. bid for a power bat just entering his arbitration years. Match: Brent Rooker, Athletics.

Rooker has shined for his athleticism this season, with 25 home runs and 72 RBIs already. He is hitting close to .300 and also has 19 doubles. It would be hard to find space for him in the field, but his bat is too good to ignore.

More MLB: The Red Sox could acquire “the most productive rookie,” according to Insider