Craig Breslow may be leaning on a familiar route again as the Red Sox search for offense: the trade market.
Boston’s need is obvious. The lineup could use a right-handed power bat in the outfield, and The Boston Globe has pointed to Dodgers slugger Teoscar Hernandez as a possible answer.
Hernandez has been in trade chatter for a while, and those rumors only picked up after Los Angeles’ top prospect Josue De Paula emerged. With Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena both receiving the qualifying offer, Boston could have even more reason to explore Hernandez as a target.
There’s a clean baseball fit here, at least on paper. The Globe suggests Hernandez could handle designated hitter duties in Boston, while Shohei Ohtani blocks that role in Los Angeles and the Dodgers are looking to get younger.
Hernandez also comes with a contract structure that should appeal to the Red Sox: 2027 is the final guaranteed year, and there’s a relatively affordable $15 million club option for 2028. That kind of flexibility matters for a team that tends to value financial wiggle room, especially with labor uncertainty hanging over the sport.
But the roster math is where things get messy.
Boston already has an outfield logjam, and Jarren Duran remains a major obstacle. The organization still appears to hold firm on Duran’s trade value, which makes moving him tough.
Then there’s Masataka Yoshida, who complicates the DH picture even more. Hernandez would likely be best used there most nights, but Yoshida can’t play the field, so keeping him around without a regular role creates a problem.
Trading him isn’t simple either, given his age, his $18.6 million salary, his limited pop, and his injury history.
That leaves the Red Sox with a hard choice: clear space by moving on from at least one of those players, or keep the roster crowded and pass on Hernandez altogether. In an ideal scenario, Boston would move both Duran and Yoshida, but that would mean accepting whatever return Duran brings and potentially designating Yoshida for assignment, neither of which feels especially likely.
There’s also the question of whether Hernandez is worth the trouble. His first year with the Dodgers was a big one, with an .840 OPS and 33 home runs in 2024.
Since then, though, his production has dipped, with OPS marks of .738 and .759 over the last two seasons, and he hit only 16 homers in 2026 while dealing with injuries. That drop-off should keep the acquisition cost manageable, but the Red Sox still have to decide whether any price is worth paying if the roster issues don’t get solved first.
With the Dec. 1 CBA expiration approaching, time is not exactly on Boston’s side. If the moving pieces can’t be sorted out quickly, a Hernandez deal could wind up staying just a rumor.
In Other News...
Red Sox Roster Squeeze Could Force Breslow To Move Key Pieces
The Red Sox have already started trimming the edges of their roster, and the next wave of moves could be more meaningful than simple housekeeping. With the 40-man picture still crowded and payroll decisions looming, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow may have to keep working the phones to create room, especially if Boston wants to keep its outfield situation from turning into a logjam.
One avenue being floated is a deal with the Mariners for a controllable starting pitcher, a move that would fit both the present and the longer view. Another possibility is moving utility man Romy Gonzalez, part of a broader effort to clear space and shape the roster with an eye on 2027, even if the exact sequence of trades is still very much in the recommendation stage rather than a finished plan. [Read more 🡒]
Former Red Sox Reliever Zack Kelly Opens Up After Boston Move
Zack Kellys run with Boston ended the way so many bullpen stories do, with a roster squeeze and a fresh start somewhere else. The right-hander was designated for assignment and then released by the Red Sox, putting him on the open market after a stretch that included 115 major league appearances and a 4.04 ERA in a Boston uniform.
Kellys 2026 season was interrupted by right elbow inflammation, which cut short what had been another chance to carve out a steady role. Now he is expected to look for his next opportunity with another club, most likely on a minor league deal that comes with a Spring Training invitation, and the next step will be finding a team willing to bet on his arm and his experience. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face A Serious New Threat In Key Rotation Chase
The market for starting pitching is already taking shape, and it could have real ripple effects for the Red Sox as they look to shore up their rotation this winter. Reports say the Cubs are expected to be aggressive in the hunt for arms, with Sonny Gray emerging as one of the names to watch, which only adds another big-market club to a pursuit that figures to be crowded from the start.
Chicago has reportedly taken Tarik Skubal off its board, but Gray remains in play as the offseason rumor mill keeps turning. The Braves are among the other teams said to be involved, and with no deal close and no clear resolution yet, Boston is left watching a market that may get more expensive and more competitive by the day. [Read more 🡒]