Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been active at the trade deadline but has yet to make the big-league roster notably better.
The first-time leader of baseball operations' biggest move was to trade red-hot second base prospect Nick Yorke in exchange for Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Quinn Priester -- who will go to Triple-A Worcester and develop as a starting pitcher for the future.
As for additions that will help Boston right away? Left-hander James Paxton and catcher Danny Jansen will join the team's postseason pursuit. It's still expected that Breslow will attempt to add a reliever and right-handed bat before Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.
Could a former Red Sox outfielder be the impact bat they need in a light position-player market?
"Kevin Pillar, who’s said he’ll likely retire at year’s end, will have a chance to finish with a contender," the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Sunday. "Lots of interest in the Angels’ veteran outfielder."
Pillar is hitting .287 with 20 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 32 RBIs and a .824 OPS (128 OPS+) in 68 games this season between his time with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels this season.
In a perfect world, the Red Sox would find an impact right-handed bat that could play in the infield but the market is not ideal with less than 24 hours remaining and few options to choose from.
Should Pillar enter the mix, the Red Sox would have a veteran player with above-average offensive production and strong defensive pedigree -- though he certainly has regressed from his Toronto Blue Jays days.
The 35-year-old had a strong 30-game tenure with Boston during the 2020 Covid-19-shortened season but has yet to see what it's like to be supported by a die-hard Red Sox fanbase as there were no fans allowed that year.
