Mead boosts Red Sox, but contending still seems a reach
The Red Sox traded for Curtis Mead to add punch to the lineup, but the upgrade isn’t enough to guarantee a playoff push; to contend they’ll need more around-the-board upgrades—especially at catcher and shortstop and with starting/relief pitching—pursuing options like CJ Abrams, Hunter Goodman, Zach Neto, Tyler Stephenson, Willy Adames, or Ryan Jeffers, and continuing to trade from surplus talent to address needs for both now and the future.
