The Red Sox are staring at a winter that could force Craig Breslow into something bolder than the usual patchwork fix. Boston’s 40-man roster is already crowded, only three free agents are coming off the books, and the club is already pushing the second luxury tax threshold before making a single signing.
Every position player spot is spoken for, backups included. That leaves Breslow with a short menu: stand pat, tinker around the edges, or swing big.
One way to swing big would be to go after Ronald Acuña Jr.
The 2023 NL MVP is reportedly in a shaky spot with the Braves fanbase and possibly the organization, which at least opens the door for a deal. And if Boston wanted to turn that opening into a real conversation, it would take a trade package that would make plenty of fans uneasy.
A possible framework sends Jarren Duran, Brayan Bello, Andruw Monasterio, and Henry Godbout, Boston’s No. 5 prospect, to Atlanta in exchange for Acuña, plus Braves prospects Owen Murphy, Atlanta’s No. 10 prospect, and Luke Sinnard, Atlanta’s No. 13 prospect.
That would mean Boston clearing an outfield lane by moving Duran, whose value dipped this season even though he still carries All-Star upside. The bet here is simple: a change of scenery could help him find his footing again.
Bello would be the other big name going out the door. His season as a starter was rough, but he was an elite long relief weapon, and he’s been healthy throughout his career - a trait that matters to a Braves team said to be desperate for pitching help, even with his relatively inexpensive contract attached.
Monasterio would also head to Atlanta because the Red Sox have more utility infield types than they need, and he had stretches of quality this season. Godbout is the real value piece from Boston’s side, the prospect included to push the deal over the line.
Boston would not come away empty-handed beyond Acuña. Murphy, the Braves’ first-round pick in 2022, is 24 and already made his MLB debut this season.
Injuries, including Tommy John surgery, have been part of his path, but he gives the Red Sox some upside and rotation depth in a system that lacks high-end minor league pitching. Sinnard, a 2024 Atlanta draft pick, is listed at 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, the kind of big-bodied arm Boston tends to like.
He reached Double-A last season, and MLB Pipeline projects a 2027 MLB debut.
The attraction, of course, is Acuña himself. His 2023 season was historic - the only 40-homer, 70-steal year in MLB history.
But the health questions have piled up since then. He has appeared in just 251 games over the last three seasons out of a possible 486.
He struggled badly in 2024, looked more like himself in 2025 but still played only 95 games, and finished with 1.9 bWAR in 107 games last season.
Even with that injury history, Acuña has still produced when he’s on the field. Over the last three seasons, he owns an .831 OPS, and over the last two it rises to .860.
In that span he has hit 45 home runs, driven in 112 runs, and stolen 46 bases. The injuries have chipped away at his value, but not erased it.
His contract makes the whole idea more realistic. Acuña signed an eight-year, $100 million deal before the 2019 season, and while the guaranteed portion is done, there are two club option years left at just $17 million apiece for 2027 and 2028. For a player with his ceiling, that number is hard to ignore.
The logic of the deal is that both clubs would be betting on risk. Boston would be gambling on a player who has been available for only 51% of his possible games over the past three seasons.
Atlanta would be taking on Duran, whose last two seasons have gone backward, though he did post a season that topped Acuña’s MVP year in bWAR, as well as Bello, who could fit either in the rotation or in a pricey relief role. Monasterio adds control and depth, while Godbout gives Atlanta a safety net if the headliners miss.
Acuña’s trade value is messy, and any mock deal involving him is going to split people. But in a setup like this, both sides are giving up players with real question marks, and Boston would still be sending the most value. If everything clicked, it could be the kind of deal that changes the Red Sox’s outlook next season.
In Other News...
Red Sox Fans Will Have Mixed Feelings Watching Cam Booser Now
Cam Boosers path back to this stage has already been one of the more remarkable baseball stories in the league, and now the former Red Sox reliever is headed to the World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays. For Boston fans who watched him work through a career that once included retirement and a series of injuries, it is the kind of turn that can bring both pride and a little regret.
Booser got back into professional baseball, spent time with the Red Sox and then the Chicago White Sox, and later signed with Tampa Bay before putting together a strong season. Now he is set to pitch on the games biggest stage, a milestone that speaks to how far he has come and how much different his story might have looked if things had broken another way in Boston. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Have An Obvious Backup Catcher Upgrade Worth Watching
Gary Snchez is the kind of backup catcher worth keeping on the radar if the Red Sox start looking for a little more pop behind the plate. He is a free agent, and the appeal is easy to see: a bat that can provide power, plus the kind of playoff experience that tends to matter when October baseball comes around. For a team that has leaned on Connor Wong in the backup role, Snchez offers a different profile and a more proven track record as an offensive-minded option.
The fit is still purely speculative for now, with no transaction or official interest reported, but it is the sort of move that makes sense on paper if Boston wants more depth at catcher without sacrificing offensive upside. Wong has handled the job, yet Snchez would give the club a more established bat and a chance to add insurance in a spot that can quietly become important over a long season. [Read more 🡒]
What It Would Really Take For Braves To Move Ronald Acuna Jr
The Red Sox have spent plenty of time and energy building toward a roster that could look formidable by 2027, with a deep pitching staff and a lineup that projects well on paper. That kind of long view naturally invites dream-scenario talk, and Ronald Acuna Jr. has become the sort of name that always gets mentioned when people start imagining how Boston could take an already strong core and push it into another tier.
Acunas talent is obvious enough that any theoretical pursuit would have to start from a massive place, especially given his injury history and the value the Braves still have in keeping him. Even in a hypothetical framework, the cost would be steep enough to make the conversation more about how much Boston would be willing to sacrifice than about whether Atlanta has any real incentive to listen. [Read more 🡒]