By Jon Vankin
Contributing Sports Writer
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In the space of less than two weeks, the Boston Red Sox have gone from chumps to, if not champs, at least contenders.
On June 25, Boston put in a lackluster effort in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, managing just three hits and a couple of walks.
They looked even more uninspiring two days later when they opened a home series against their American League East division rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays, by getting unceremoniously shut out 9-0, on just four hits for their sixth defeat in a row.
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And then, everything changed.
At least for the time being. Boston bats exploded for 15 runs the next day to blast Toronto 15-1 and have barely looked back since. Now the Red Sox have won seven of their last nine, and four in a row. They have produced an extraordinary 76 runs over those nine games. That's 8.4 runs per game for more than a week.
The Red Sox look like they're about to get even better, as well. The team's hottest hitter before his quad injury on May 23, Alex Bregman, is set to return, possibly before the All-Star break.
And prolific contact hitter Masataka Yoshida, who was top-10 in low-strikeout-rate last season, is set to return from shoulder surgery, making his season debut probably on Wednesday, manager Alex Cora said.
That still leaves first base, where the Red Sox have been relying on a platoon of journeymen Abraham Toro and Romy González since Triston Casas was lost for the season with a severe knee injury on May 2.
Toro and González have filled in admirably, probably much better than the Red Sox had a right to expect. But a writer for NESN, the Red Sox media outlet, presented an idea for a trade deadline move that could solidify the position.
With the deadline a fast-moving 23 days away, NESN scribe Matt Dargan proposed a deal for veteran Washington Nationals switch-hitting slugger Josh Bell.
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"Acquiring Bell would make a lot of sense for the Red Sox," Dargan wrote. "As a switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate, adding the slugger would allow Red Sox manager Alex Cora to platoon Romy González at second base and Abraham Toro to slide into a proper utility role while continuing to earn starts against left-handed pitching.
The deal would be a low-cost one for the Red Sox. Financially, Bell would be a half-season rental with the Red Sox paying the remainder of his one-year, $6 million contract.
A second round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates way back in 2011, Bell would be moving to his seventh big league team in 10 years if he were traded at the deadline — an eventuality that seems inevitable with Washington apparently entering a complete rebuild after the sudden firings of manager Dave Martinez and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo on Sunday.
When Bregman returns, acquiring Bell would allow Cora to platoon the lefty-crushing González (1.206 OPS in 73 at-bats) at second base with rookie Marcelo Mayer, who appears likely to slide over to second with Bregman reclaiming the hot corner at Fenway Park.
Cora has been reluctant to allow the lefty-swinging, 22-year-old Mayer — who has played in only 31 MLB games — to face southpaws. The Red Sox 2021 first-round draft pick, fourth overall, has struggled to post a paltry .435 OPS against lefties, scraping out just four hits in 23 at-bats with no walks.
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