Red Sox-Brewers Blockbuster Trade Idea Brings 181-HR Slugger To Boston

It's early, but there are certainly signs...

Sep 17, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of batting helmets inside the Milwaukee Brewers dugout prior to the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

It's now been three weeks since the Boston Red Sox lost first baseman Triston Casas, and the lineup is still suffering.

Casas was having an ugly season, but nearly everyone else on the team was hitting better when he was healthy. Players like Kristian Campbell and Trevor Story have fallen into major slumps, and that's partially due to the increased pressure on them to produce without Casas in the middle of the order.

The Red Sox have Nick Sogard and Abraham Toro at first. They also have Romy González on the injured list, and they traded for minor leaguer Ryan Noda on Thursday. That's not going to cut it, unfortunately.

The plan, for now, seems to be moving Campbell from second base to first and calling up top middle infield prospect Marcelo Mayer. But there is still time for the trade market to open up and for Boston to nab a more established veteran slugger.

On Friday, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly wrote that the possibility of the Red Sox trading for Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins wasn't at all far-fetched, ranking it as "low" on his so-called "BS meter."

"It's very easy to imagine a pull hitter with power like Hoskins thriving at Fenway Park," Kelly wrote. "The question is whether the Brewers will be in a position to wave the white flag this summer. They've disappointed so far, but at 24-26 are still within striking distance of the Chicago Cubs.

"With that said, the Brewers showed with the trade of Josh Hader during the 2022 season that they aren't necessarily afraid to move veterans they think are about to depart in free agency, even if the current iteration of the team is in contention."

Hoskins, 32, has been the Brewers' most consistent hitter this year, posting an OPS of .880 and 1.2 bWAR through 48 games. He's got 181 career home runs in parts of eight seasons, giving him a per-162 pace of 35 round-trippers.

The Brewers and Hoskins share a mutual option for $18 million next season, and one would think that either side would have a reason to decline it based on performance. In theory, if the Red Sox were to acquire Hoskins, they should expect him to be a rental.

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