Are Red Sox better off without Yoan Moncada this season?

Despite being in the postseason if it were to begin today, the Red Sox still have some clear needs on their roster.

While no major moves will take place, rosters do expand on Sept. 1 and with the Red Sox being off that day, Friday in Oakland on Sept. 2 they will get to add players who can hopefully help down the stretch.

For sure the team will add to its bullpen with at least Joe Kelly and Heath Hembree to start. Also, the team could get Koji Uehara back as early as early next week. There’s no guarantee any of these three players will work out, but given what has gone on in the bullpen of late, anything can help.

“I think we have some reinforcements that are probably better than some other organizations,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said on WEEI Monday.

With how good the starting rotation has been of late, they desperately need the bullpen to step up to keep them in games.

From a positional standpoint, the biggest question is whether or not the team will call up top prospect Yoan Moncada from Double-A. Some have thought he might be a candidate to be a stolen base threat off the bench, but Dombrowski noted he’s stolen only eight bases in 12 attempts in Double-A, which isn’t as dominant as he was in the lower levels.

While on the surface it makes sense given the lack of production from third base, it doesn’t appear Dombrowski will rush the issue.

“Even if you look at Moncada, who, in my estimation, is going to be a great player,” Dombrowski said. “He’s going to be an exciting player. He’s going to steal a lot of bases at the big league level. But he’s learning that art at the upper-levels. He hasn’t stole as many bases at Double-A as he did in A-ball. In A-ball his speed just took over. You’re working with him, but he hasn’t stolen quite as many bases yet at the Double-A level. And I do think he will do that at the big league level, eventually.”

It may be better served for Moncada to sit out the rest of the year once the Double-A season ends and get ready for the Arizona Fall League where he will continue to get comfortable at third base.

While Sept. 1 is never a time to make huge moves to a roster, the Red Sox hope they can get some life with the additions they will make over the weekend.