The Red Sox’s quest for a reliable first baseman has taken yet another frustrating turn. Once again, the ghosts of what could’ve been Alex Rodriguez in the early 2000s and Shohei Ohtani in 2017 have resurfaced to cast a shadow over Boston’s roster decisions.

After losing rising star Triston Casas to a serious knee injury, the Red Sox’s infield depth was suddenly tested. And compounding the issue, Rafael Devers, the team’s powerful designated hitter, declined to switch over to first base. That left manager Alex Cora with no choice but to explore trade options.

Now, just as the team appeared poised to secure a much-needed solution, their top target is reportedly on his way to the Mariners. Another gut punch in a season already filled with what-ifs. “The Seattle Mariners are acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks, sources tell ESPN.” MLB insider Jeff Passan broke the news.

Reportedly, the Red Sox were hoping to land Josh Naylor, a seven-year vet with 102 career homers. But things apparently didn’t go their way. Naylor is moving with one of their biggest rivals in the Wild Card race, the Mariners. According to reports, the D-Backs traded Naylor to Seattle in exchange for two pitching prospects: Lefty Brandyn Garcia and righty Ashton Izzi.

But this is not good news for Alex Cora and the Red Sox front office. Right now, Boston and Seattle are neck and neck for the final AL Wild Card spot. The Red Sox hold the slightest edge at 55-49, while the Mariners are just behind at 54-48. Considering Naylor had been solid for the Diamondbacks this season, hitting .292 with 11 homers and 59 RBIs in 93 games, he could have been a good addition for the Red Sox.

But now, with Naylor off the table, the Red Sox’s best remaining option is probably Ryan O’Hearn from the Orioles. He might not be as strong offensively as Naylor and is even more of a platoon player, but at this point, he’s the top name realistically available. Moreover, like Naylor, O’Hearn is on an expiring deal, and since he’s not quite at Naylor’s level, the cost to trade for him should be lower.

Hence, the best chance to make up for the loss of Naylor is to pursue O’Hearn. But there are a few more the Red Sox have their eyes on.

A few more names are linked with the Red Sox

Apart from a need for a first baseman, the Red Sox are also in need to get reliable arms.

So far this season, the Red Sox rotation has been pretty middle-of-the-pack, ranking 10th in MLB in ERA (3.79). In other words, they’ve been just okay when it comes to both preventing runs and the metrics that support it. While Garrett Crochet has emerged as a true ace at the top, the overall depth just isn’t there. Moreover, injuries have hit the staff hard, and it’s looking more and more like Walker Buehler might need to be moved out of the rotation. So, behind Crochet, the Red Sox don’t really have a second arm you’d trust in a playoff series.

Even Crochet tends to slip a few times. Remember the 10-7 win over the Yankees this year? Crochet surrendered five earned runs over six innings, his roughest performance that season. And here the Red Sox are rumored to be with the Pirates’ Mitch Keller.

Well, Keller is having a strong season. Currently, he is pitching with a 3.53 ERA with 97 SOs from 21 games. And on top of that, Keller is under contract through 2028 on a team-friendly deal and doesn’t turn 30 until next April. Hence, he could give the Red Sox some much-needed long-term stability in the rotation.

And given how the Red Sox have improved in developing pitchers lately, Keller’s deep, high-spin action could be something their staff can really work with and build on. So, it might not be a blockbuster, but it could be a smart move. But that’s all possible when the Red Sox actually make a move before anyone else does the same.