The Red Sox are already lining up some notable postseason reinforcements, with Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck expected back and Ceddanne Rafaela likely to be activated. But Chad Tracy may have also tipped his hand on a less obvious option: Braiden Ward.
On Wednesday, Boston’s interim manager said on WEEI’s “Rich and Ken with Ted Johnson” that the Triple-A speedster could be in the mix as October approaches. “I think that would be considered, for sure,” Tracy said.
Ward would need to be added to the 40-man roster, but if that happens, he would still be eligible for the postseason even though he has spent the entire year with Triple-A Worcester.
At 27, Ward is older than the usual prospect label, but his value is pretty simple: he can run. A 16th-round pick out of Washington in 2021, he leads Triple-A with 58 stolen bases this season and has piled up 269 career minor-league steals in 519 games.
Ward’s path to Boston has already included a couple of stops. The Rockies originally drafted him, and he spent four seasons in Colorado’s system before joining the Red Sox in last November’s trade that sent reliever Brennan Bernardino to Colorado.
The offensive numbers don’t jump off the page. In 105 games this year, Ward is batting .238 with five home runs, 29 RBI and 87 hits, while his on-base percentage sits above .350. He has also been hit by pitches 30 times in 2026, part of why his career minor-league on-base percentage stands at .386.
If Boston makes the move, it would be for the legs, not the bat. Pinch-runners can matter in the postseason, and a foot injury for Eli White could open a lane for Ward. With games usually tightening up in October, that kind of speed on the bases can carry real weight for the Red Sox.
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