Red Sox Tabbed Trade Fit For Dodgers World Series Champion Lefty

Some random hypotheticals make sense...

May 13, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; General view the Los Angeles Dodgers cap and glove during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Should the Boston Red Sox make another trade centered around pitching this winter?

That was the contention of Just Baseball's Jay Staph, who recently circled Boston as a perfect fit for a current member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series champion bullpen.

On Tuesday, Staph proposed a hypothetical trade that would bring lefty Anthony Banda to the Red Sox for infielder David Hamilton and right-handed pitching prospect Juan Valera.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Is Banda a good fit for Boston?

"When it comes to finding a suitor that could be a fit for Banda, the first team that immediately jumps out is the Boston Red Sox," Staph wrote. "They’re currently projected to have just two left-handed relievers, and they could benefit from adding another arm to the fold.

"If this deal were to happen, the most intriguing piece we could see head back to the Dodgers is Juan Valera, a right-handed pitching prospect who might be a few tweaks away from being very good."

What is Banda worth on the open market? He comes with two years of team control and has pitched to a very solid 3.14 ERA in his two years as a Dodger thus far. Before that, though, he was a complete journeyman, and a lefty middle reliever only gets you so far, even if he's a great one.

Valera was a high riser on top prospect lists last year, but his rough season in High-A slightly dampened his shine. Still, he's a teenager who throws in the high-90s, and the Red Sox have already given up a lot of arms this offseason in trades with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hamilton's inclusion in the hypothetical is interesting, because on one hand, it shouldn't necessarily take more than one solid prospect to acquire a middle reliever, especially six months away from the deadline. However, Hamilton might also be one of the players on the bubble of the 40-man roster right now.

If the Red Sox don't think there are any worthwhile free agents who can help them as much as Banda could, a move like this would be understandable. But one does have to wonder whether it's smart to give up pieces with tangible value when the Red Sox could pay someone in free agency roughly the same amount Banda is going to make anyway.

More MLB: Expert: Red Sox Must Make This Move, Or Offseason Is A Failure