Red Sox Could Target Houston Astros Infielder at Trade Deadline

Whether the Boston Red Sox are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline could impact the Houston Astros according to an article at Baseball Essential.

The piece tried to gauge how the Red Sox might approach the trade deadline. Boston is 48-43 and two games out of the American League’s final Wild Card spot. They’re also playing in the game’s most brutal division. Even though Boston is over .500, the Red Sox are in last place in the AL East.

But, if the Red Sox opted to buy instead of sell, they could make an Astros utility player a target — Mauricio Dubón.

In the eyes of the piece, Dubón proved himself as a potential full-time starter while Astros star Jose Altuve was out of the lineup:

Dubón showed his stuff in Jose Altuve's absence earlier this season slashing .279/.303/.397 over the course of 72 games. He also has the ability to play first base, shortstop and both corner outfield spots.

He also has something else the Red Sox would be interested in — controllable years on his service time. That might allow the Astros to extract a premium for Dubón’s services.

But the Astros might not be as interested as one might think. Altuve injured an oblique in the Astros’ final homestand. It’s the third time this season he’s missed time due to an injury, with a wrist injury being the most serious and required him to miss nearly the first two months of the season.

The Astros — who enter the second half just two games behind the Texas Rangers in the AL West — may need Dubón.

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