3 trades the Red Sox could make to regain footing in AL East

For fans of the Boston Red Sox, frustration is mounting. The team has finished last in their division, the AL East, for three out of the past four seasons, and appear to be surrendering their competitive edge early in the season.

Despite boasting some of the best pitching baseball, offense has not come easily for the club this season. Despite having the second-best ERA in baseball, the Sox rank 12th and 13th in runs scored and team batting average respectively.

Now 23-24, 9.5 games back of the Yankees in their division, something needs to give soon. Today, we are outlining three trades that president of baseball operations Craig Breslow could employ to better his team's outlook.

Three possible trades for the Boston Red Sox

Brayan Bello

25 year-old starter Brayan Bello has had a strong season, but still represents the weakest link in his team's rotation. Now 4-2 with a 3.96 ERA, the Dominican will not be arbitration eligible until 2026. However, now is the time for the Sox to start looking at how to get value out of the youngster.

"First K of the season for Brayan Bello comes on a FILTHY changeup" - Boston Sports Gordo

By dealing a young and dynamic arm, perhaps to a team like the Minnesota Twins, who need pitching, the Red Sox could bolster their offensive bonafides while not giving up too much talent on the pitching end.

David Hamilton

Ever since All-Star shortstop Trevor Story announced he would be out for the season in early April, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been scrambling for a replacement. Of late, 26 year-old sophomore David Hamilton has been getting more time.

"DAVID HAMILTON WITH A HOME RUN!" - Matthew

While Hamilton shows potential, and has hit 2 home runs, 5 RBIs with a .250 average on the season, he is not a long-term fix. If the Red Sox want to remain competitive, they need an infielder like Story or indeed Xander Bogaerts. Including Hamilton in a package of young stars would be a good way for the team to get closer to that goal.

Chase Anderson

In March, the Red Sox signed veteran pitcher Chase Anderson to a one-year contract worth $1.25 million. Anderson, 36, has been a starter for the vast majority of his career, and started 17 games for the Colorado Rockies last year. However, since being used as a reliever in Boston, Anderson is sporting a 4.98 ERA, which is the highest figure on the team for a pitcher with more than ten innings.

"Chase Anderson's first outing in a Red Sox uniform ends with a 3 inning save. Red Sox improve to 3-2 on the season." - Tyler Miliken

Breslow will need to be smart, but including an experienced and reliable pitcher could help them deal with the hole at shortstop. Exploring a deal with the Miami Marlins involving Tim Anderson (no relation), might make sense.