The Red Sox are heading into the second half with real momentum, and that changes everything about how the next two weeks should look in Boston.
Friday’s doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays will reopen the 2026 season for a club that looked buried not long ago. Instead, the Red Sox have climbed back to 46-48 and have won 14 of their last 16 games. The turnaround has shoved Boston right back into the playoff conversation, and with a little more than two weeks left before the trade deadline, Craig Breslow and the front office have a clear job: add.
One obvious area to attack is the lineup, and Gleyber Torres fits that conversation. The former longtime New York Yankee is now with the Detroit Tigers, and before the All-Star break he was hitting .280/.395/.395 with a .790 OPS, four homers and 18 RBIs.
Torres is currently on the Injured List, though he has already started a rehab assignment. Even with the injury, his right-handed pop would give Boston something it needs, and at 29, he’s still in a good age range for a team trying to make a push.
Luis Arráez brings a very different profile, but one that would still make sense for the Red Sox. He doesn’t offer right-handed power, yet he does bring elite contact skills and a track record that speaks for itself.
Arráez has won three batting titles and is in position for another one after hitting .330 so far. For Boston, he’d be the kind of table-setter who could help get traffic on the bases near the top of the order.
If the Red Sox wanted to swing bigger, Junior Caminero would be the kind of move that changes the conversation. He’s under team control for four more seasons, is only 23, and already has two All-Star nods.
Last season he hit 31 home runs, and he’s already up to 28 this year in 97 games. That kind of bat would be a massive addition for Boston, though prying him away from Washington would take a hefty price.
Isaac Paredes is another name worth keeping on the radar. He was linked to Boston more than almost anyone this past offseason, and while the Astros don’t look like a club that’s ready to sell, the fit still makes enough sense to at least check in. Houston dealt Lance McCullers Jr. to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in a salary dump, which at least opens the door to wondering whether more moves could follow.
In Other News...
Tigers Fans Just Got The Trade Rumor They Were Dreading
With the trade deadline approaching, the Braves are already signaling they plan to be busy, and general manager Alex Anthopoulos has made it clear Atlanta expects to be in the market. For Tigers fans, that matters because Detroit ace Tarik Skubal has started to surface in the rumor mill as a possible fit for a contender looking to upgrade its rotation for the stretch run.
CBS Sports and USA Today have both linked Skubal to the conversation, with USA Today pointing to the Dodgers, Yankees, Blue Jays and Padres among the other clubs in the mix. Nothing has been confirmed, but any real push for Skubal would be the kind of move that changes the entire tenor of Detroits deadline, both in terms of what the Tigers might be asked to give up and what kind of return they could demand. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Just Sent A Stunning Message On Tarik Skubal's Price
The Tigers are already being viewed as a team to watch at the 2026 trade deadline, and Tarik Skubal sits at the center of that conversation. With the left-hander potentially moving before he reaches free agency, Detroit is in position to ask for a return that matches the value of one of the sports premier arms, which is exactly why rival clubs are paying close attention to how the front office handles the situation.
Scott Harris has made it clear the bar is extremely high, and that alone tells you where this is headed. Even with the deadline still in the distance, the Tigers are signaling they will not move Skubal unless the package is substantial enough to reshape the organization, which leaves the rest of the league wondering whether anyone will actually be willing to meet that price. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Harris May Be Near A Risky Tigers Extension Call
The Reds new deal with Chase Burns is the kind of contract that can make front offices around the league stop and take notice, and it gives a useful reference point for teams trying to lock up young pitching before the price climbs any higher. For the Tigers, it arrives at an interesting moment, with Scott Harris still weighing how aggressively to push his roster-building and how much room he has to maneuver before the offseason.
Troy Melton has given Detroit plenty to think about since coming back from injury, showing the kind of performance that can change the conversation fast. The question is whether the Tigers are willing to act now, with payroll constraints in the background and the possibility of structuring an extension in a way that delays the real financial hit until later. [Read more 🡒]