Red Sox lineup could use some adjustments

July is supposed to be one of the top offensive months for big leaguers. The Red Sox are not capitalizing on this though. So far this month, they are hitting .240 with a .660 OPS. They’re an American League team that plays at Fenway Park and this is a month where big league clubs are supposed to hit. That’s a problem.So what’s the issue? There are plenty of them, so I am glad you asked. Let’s do a quick rundown:

Mitch Moreland is 5 for his last 52 at the plate in his last 17 games. He is batting under .100 since July 6th with an OPS of .307. That’d be bad for a pitcher. He has a broken toe and early in the year, he couldn’t get a break. He was playing everyday. He’s been playing through a broken toe, but that seems to be too much for him to deal with. Maybe he needs to go to the DL for awhile.

Xander Bogaerts is hitting .153 with a .435 OPS in 23 games over the past month. His batting average has dropped 40 points. He was an All-Star candidate. Now he’s a major detriment to this team’s lineup. Maybe he goes away for awhile too.

Andrew Benintendi is hitting .179 with a .470 OPS in his last 18 games. And Chris Young isn’t hitting lefties (.219 batting average, .621 OPS) and he’s detrimental on defense.

Serious thought. The Red Sox could use Hanley Ramirez at first base, Rafael Devers as a DH as much as possible and the mix of Brock Holt and Deven Marrero at third base. That would mask Devers’ incompetence at 3B and improve the lineup offensively. A Sam Travis promotion could also improve the lineup v LHP. Bryce Brentz, who isn’t on the 40-man roster, could do the same (OPS over 1.000 in Triple-A).

Eduardo Nunez could take reps at shortstop, despite his negative metrics at the position. So does Bogaerts though. At least Nunez can hit. Holt can also play shortstop if needed.

Bonus: the Red Sox could also use a right-handed hitting outfielder at the deadline, even though their primary focus will probably be a reliever. Too bad Pat Neshek ain’t on the market.