The Red Sox may not even get a real look at Patrick Sandoval in Boston before the conversation shifts from rehab to trade value.
Boston signed Sandoval to a two-year, $18.5 million deal while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery, a move that fit the same template the organization has used before with James Paxton, Liam Hendriks, and Lucas Giolito. The idea was simple enough: carry the rehab cost now, then cash in on a healthy arm later.
But Sandoval’s Red Sox stint has barely existed in practice. He hasn’t thrown a major-league pitch in more than two years, and after finally starting a rehab assignment in June, setbacks have kept him from making it count.
Now the Red Sox are at least listening. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Boston is gauging the market for the left-hander, and teams are already paying attention to what happens next. As Tyler Milliken posted on June 29, 2026, “According to sources, teams are planning on scouting Sandoval’s final rehab start in preparation for the Red Sox potentially being willing to move him in a trade.”
That possibility makes sense given where the Red Sox sit. Even after sweeping the New York Yankees in four games over the weekend, they remain well outside the American League playoff picture and look headed toward a deadline sell-off as they try to retool for 2027 and beyond. Sandoval’s contract, which is worth $12.75 million as a rental, fits the kind of move a club in that position would try to turn into younger, controllable talent.
The challenge is that Boston is trying to trade on reputation as much as performance. Sandoval was once viewed as one of the AL’s most promising arms, and he put together 5.3 bWAR across 2022-23 while posting a 2.91 ERA in the latter season. But the market is dealing with a pitcher who has been away from MLB action for more than two years and has only seven rehab starts behind him.
Two of those came in April before he was shut down again because of bicep tightness. In his five appearances since, he has worked 13.1 innings with a 2.70 ERA. That’s a decent line, but it’s still a tiny sample, and it probably isn’t enough to make another club eager to absorb the salary without some kind of extra sweetener, whether that’s cash or a prospect package.
Time is the real pressure point here. Sandoval’s 30-day rehab window ends on July 4, and once that happens, the Red Sox have to add him to the 40-man and 26-man rosters, or trade or release him.
Boston could keep him in the mix for a few starts and let him audition in front of other teams, but that carries obvious risk if he struggles. The more likely path is a quick deal before the clock runs out, with the Red Sox sending Sandoval and money to a contender in return for a low-level prospect.
It’s not the kind of outcome Breslow had in mind when the move was made in 2024. But at this point, the Red Sox may simply try to salvage something from a tricky situation.
In Other News...
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For Boston, the wrinkle is less about whether a veteran arm can help and more about how long it can afford to keep him. A 38-year-old left-hander with a 2.19 ERA is exactly the sort of reliever contenders ask about in July, but the Red Sox also have to weigh the value of that short-term stability against a contract situation that could become more complicated as the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]
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Contreras has been productive this season, carrying a .906 OPS and a strong track record against lefties, which is exactly the kind of profile that can change how opposing staffs attack a team. He is also under club control through 2028, so any move would be about more than a short-term rental, but for now it remains only a suggestion rather than a confirmed push toward a deal. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Fix Their Biggest Problems Without Making A Trade
A seven-game losing streak has only sharpened the Yankees sense of urgency, but the bigger question in the Bronx may not be who they can buy. Even with needs at catcher, third base and in the bullpen, MLB.coms Mark Feinsand suggested the club could lean heavily on internal fixes as the 2026 trade deadline approaches, banking on roster movement and reinforcements already in the organization rather than a splashy external addition.
Carlos Lagrange and George Lombard Jr. are among the names being floated as possible depth answers, which would give the Yankees another path if they decide the market is too expensive or too thin. For a team trying to stop the slide and stabilize its roster, the possibility of solving some of its biggest problems from within may be just as important as any deadline pursuit. [Read more 🡒]