Jul 31, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran (36) on deck to bat during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox have called New York about the availability of Carlos Beltran. Could a trade between rivals be possible?

It would appear that Dave Dombrowski really is prepared to take any avenue that could help the Red Sox down the stretch. He has even gone so far as to call Boston’s biggest rival, the New York Yankees, about outfielder Carlos Beltran.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the Red Sox are one of several teams to show interest in the veteran.

Among the teams talking about a Carlos Beltran deal: Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Indians. — Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 31, 2016

A trade between teams in the same division is highly unusual. Most of the time, teams are just not willing to take the risk of helping their opponents win a division title. It is even more unusual for it to be a trade between Boston and New York. The last deal of note that the two teams made was when Boston sent the Stephen Drew to the Yankees.

If an agreement could actually be reached, a player like Beltran could be a big help to the Red Sox. It would give the team not only a capable outfielder that could allow Brock Holt to shift back into a utility role, but also an above-average bat to an offense that has been streaky as of late. On the season, Beltran has a .301 batting average with 21 home runs, and 62 RBI.

Not only is Beltran a capable player during the season, but he is also a proven performer in the playoffs. His has a .332 career average in the postseason. Having a veteran player like that would certainly help a team filled with young stars who have not felt the pressure of October before.

A Red Sox offense with veteran threats such as David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez and Beltran, combined with a youthful core of Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley, would be well positioned to give the team a real shot at reaching the World Series.

Another way a deal for Beltran makes sense for Boston is that his contract is up at the end of the year. Considering that, and Beltran’s higher salary, the Red Sox would not have to trade away top prospects for him. If Dombrowski wants to go all in on the last year Ortiz is going to be in the middle of the lineup, trying to get Beltran makes a whole lot of sense.

The biggest problem with trying to get Beltran is of course, as stated earlier, that the Yankees would definitely rather avoid helping their dreaded rivals. New York has given mixed signals these last few days on whether it wants to give up on the season. After trading away both Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, they struck a deal with the Diamondbacks to acquire veteran reliever Tyler Clippard. It would appear New York is refusing to fully give up on the year.

yanks higherups not very interested in helping red sox. beltran, boston talk is fun. but as of now, major long shot. — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 1, 2016

This hurts the trade chances even more as the Red Sox currently are sitting in their way of a title. To trade Beltran to Boston for some prospects would be the equivalent of waving a giant white flag for their hopes of winning the division. All of this makes a deal, that would already have been very out of the ordinary, all the more unlikely.

There is always the chance though, that “Dealin’ Dave” will pull off a surprise move like this. Early on when he became the new man in charge of the Red Sox he stated that he would be more open to dealing with the Yankees than some of his predecessors had been. However, if he wants to convince New York to make a move, he’s going to have to do it fast. The trade deadline is almost here and the final day frenzy on the market is set to begin.

Sources: http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/new-york-yankees/carlos-beltran/

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beltrca01.shtml