ESPN article advises Red Sox to be sellers with Alex Verdugo, James Paxton

BOSTON -- June is ending. July is coming. And front offices around Major League Baseball are facing decisions on whether to sell or buy before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

With the expanded postseason, it's not an easy decision. The Red Sox are the embodiment of that.

They're 40-42, sitting in last place in the AL East, five games behind fourth-place Toronto. By most standards, they're cooked. But in the era of three wild-card teams, they're still alive in the playoff hunt, sitting five games out of the final spot. They're a long shot to get it, but if they can win eight of 10 games -- something they've proven capable of doing in spurts this year -- they'll find themselves right in the thick of it.

At the same time, they've lost seven of their last eight games, so most of their positive steps have been met with a step backward.

That's why, in an article written by ESPN's David Schoenfield about deals every MLB team should make, the Red Sox look like sellers.

Schoenfield made the case that the Houston Astros should acquire outfielder Alex Verdugo, and he said the Red Sox should trade away James Paxton.

"It's not the greatest of odds," Schoenfield wrote of Boston's playoff chances. "Verdugo has another season to go until free agency, but Red Sox executive Chaim Bloom should still be in an 'improve the organizational depth from 1 to 60' kind of mode, even if not going all-in is deemed unacceptable by the Fenway Faithful."

Schoenfield added, though, that "other teams might have better prospects to offer Boston than Houston does."

On Paxton, Schoenfield noted that he's gotten into a bit of a rhythm of late, and teams in need of a starter should be interested.

"He's heading to free agency and looks like one of the few starters available who you might be comfortable giving the ball to in a three-game playoff series," Schoenfield wrote, mocking up a trade to the Reds for an infielder.