Red Sox ‘not ruling out selling Kenley Jansen, other hires’ at transfer deadline – NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox appeared to be clear MLB trade deadline buyers before the All-Star break. They finished the first half of the season in third place in the American League Wild Card and trailed by just 4.5 games in the AL East.

What a difference a week can make.

The Red Sox have lost four straight games since coming back from the break. They enter Tuesday night two games behind the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card race and seven games behind in the division. Suddenly, selling is back on the agenda for Boston’s front office with just six games left before the deadline.

On Tuesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported that the Red Sox “haven’t ruled out” selling some of their best players with expiring contracts.

“It’s telling that even as the Sox explore potential upgrades, according to major league sources, they haven’t ruled out the possibility of trading away high-end rental players like Kenley Jansen, Nick Pivetta or Tyler O’Neill,” Speier wrote. “Of course, the bar would be high — especially now, given that the team is still very much in the wild-card mix — but not necessarily insurmountable.

“Does that mean the Sox will sell? Not necessarily. Does it mean they won’t buy? Not necessarily.”

Parting ways with Jansen, Pivetta or O’Neill would mean the front office is writing off the remainder of the 2024 season. All three players would be key to Boston’s success in the final two months of the campaign. They also represent three of the club’s biggest needs if they choose to buy: a reliable reliever, a solid starter and a right-handed bat.

With first-year chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. still seemingly on the fence about their deadline approach, how the Red Sox perform in their next six games will likely be the deciding factor. It’s a challenging series that includes two more road games against the Colorado Rockies, followed by a three-game home series against the New York Yankees and a one-game home series against the Seattle Mariners.

The 2024 MLB transfer deadline is set for July 30 at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.