The Red Sox have a clear problem, and it showed up in the numbers all year long. Boston finished 26th in MLB with 163 home runs and 23rd in runs scored with 689, a profile that leaves little doubt about what the lineup needs most: more thunder in the middle.
That kind of fix usually comes from the trade market, not free agency, because the type of hitter Boston really wants - a 35-plus homer bat - is not exactly sitting there for the taking. The catch for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is that his favorite way to land that kind of impact bat has gotten harder to use. He has already moved a lot of young pitching, including in the Curtis Mead and Adley Rutschman deals, which has thinned out the high-end pitching prospects he once had to work with.
So if the Red Sox are going to chase a major slugger, they may have to use different currency. Right now, the two most attractive trade chips in the organization are Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela.
Abreu and Rafaela bring a lot to the table at once: production now, Gold Glove defense, and years of team control. Abreu is under control through 2029, while Rafaela is controlled through 2032 because of his extension. That’s exactly why Boston would hesitate to move them - and exactly why another club would listen if the Red Sox came calling with one of them at the center of a deal.
Neither player is making massive money, either, which only adds to the appeal if they keep performing at this level. Abreu’s bat has more pop, but both players bring enough offensive value that Boston would only consider moving one if the return was a near-lock to deliver 35 to 40 homers.
That’s where the reality check comes in. In 2026, only 11 players reached 35-plus home runs.
Junior Caminero was one of them, and the Tampa Bay Rays would never move him to Boston. Rafael Devers was another, and the Red Sox wouldn’t bring him back with the Breslow regime still in place.
That scarcity is why an Abreu or Rafaela trade feels like a long shot. Still, it’s also why neither player can be labeled untouchable. If a true difference-making slugger becomes available, Boston has the kind of pieces that could at least start the conversation.
Breslow has already shown he can build a strong pitching staff, and even leave himself with enough quality arms to use in other deals. The next step is more complicated: finding a way to upgrade the offense in 2027 before that pitching depth is fully replenished, which will take at least another year or two.
At some point, the Red Sox may have to make the kind of move that stings - trading one of their best big-league position players to get a better one back. And this time, that conversation is not about Jarren Duran.
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Red Sox Could Solve Two Offseason Needs With One Bold Trade
The Red Sox are still shopping for a right-handed starter and a power bat this offseason, and that has put a familiar name into the center of the conversation. Jarren Duran has been floated as a possible trade chip, and one of the more intriguing fits would send him to Texas, where the Rangers suddenly have a need for outfield help after Evan Carters hip surgery and are also working under payroll pressure.
Nathan Eovaldi is the kind of arm Boston could use to check one box in a hurry, while Duran would give the Rangers a ready-made answer in the outfield. It is the sort of one-move solution that makes sense on paper for both clubs, but for now it remains only a possibility as the Red Sox weigh how aggressively they want to attack two offseason needs at once. [Read more 🡒]
Wilyer Abreu's Rise Leaves Red Sox Facing A Costly Offseason Call
Wilyer Abreus breakout season has given the Red Sox exactly the kind of problem every front office says it wants. After winning his third straight Gold Glove in right field and leading all players in defensive runs saved and outs above average, he also put himself in position for a Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award after the best offensive year of his career. For a player who has grown into one of Bostons most valuable regulars on both sides of the ball, the rise has been as steady as it has been sudden.
Now the challenge shifts from appreciation to accounting. Abreu is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, and the combination of elite defense and a stronger bat figures to push his price tag up fast. That leaves the Red Sox weighing a player whose value keeps climbing against the reality that his improved profile could also make him more expensive to keep, and more attractive if the club starts listening on trade possibilities. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox May Be Eyeing A Risky Rotation Bet
The Red Sox are being linked to another rotation gamble, this time in the form of Casey Mize. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report floated the idea of Boston bringing in the free-agent right-hander on a short-term deal after a 2026 season that showed both sides of his profile, with strong work for the Detroit Tigers before a rougher stretch following his trade to the San Diego Padres.
For Boston, the appeal is obvious enough. Mize has the kind of track record that can tempt a team looking for starting-pitching help without making a long commitment, and the fit becomes even more interesting with Sonny Gray potentially out of the picture. It is the sort of move that could stabilize the rotation if it clicks, but it also carries the kind of risk the Red Sox have to weigh carefully this winter. [Read more 🡒]