The Boston Red Sox are World Series champions, and you can bet their top rivals in the American League won't sit idly by as the Sox enjoy the spoils of victory.
The New York Yankees, who were eliminated from the 2018 MLB playoffs by the Red Sox in the ALDS, acquired starting pitcher James Paxton in a trade with the Seattle Mariners on Monday. The Houston Astros, whose title defense ended at the hands of the Red Sox in the ALCS, also are looking to bolster their roster.
Here's the latest on Houston's pursuit of another power bat, via The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal:
Goldschmidt would be a big upgrade to an already stacked Astros lineup that features the likes of Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.
The Astros had the best ERA in the AL last season, but starters Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel both are free agents this winter. If one or both of them leave, the Astros probably would need to add at least another starter via trade or free agency. In that scenario, it might be wiser to save the valuable trade assets needed to acquire Goldschmidt and use them to get a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.
On the other hand, a talent like Goldschmidt is hard to pass up. The 31-year-old first baseman has hit at least .290 with 30-plus home runs in each of the last six seasons for the Diamondbacks. He is signed through the 2019 season for a modest $14.5 million.
Boston Red Sox
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