A fresh Isaac Paredes report has put the Red Sox right back where they were last offseason: looking at a powerful, versatile infield bat who might actually be gettable.
The Houston Astros are again being tied to trade conversations involving Paredes, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, and Boston should be paying close attention. Rome wrote, "[Carlos Correa’s] return will thrust Paredes’ name back into trade conversations," adding that Paredes could be part of a broader discussion with Christian Walker and possibly pitcher Cristian Javier. Walker is owed $20 million, while Javier is slated to earn $21,000,000.
That is enough to reopen a door that looked ready to swing open a year ago. Last offseason, Paredes was one of the major names connected to the Red Sox in trade rumors, and reports even said Boston, Houston and the St.
Louis Cardinals were close to a three-team deal that would have sent the slugger to the Red Sox. It never happened, and Paredes stayed with the Astros.
Now he may be back on the board.
For Boston, the appeal is obvious. Paredes is 27, a two-time All-Star, and he just put together one of the strongest seasons of his career.
In 155 games, he hit .262/.360/.447 with 25 home runs and 94 RBIs, worth 4.0 WAR even without an All-Star selection. He also comes with a $13.35 million club option for the 2027 season before hitting free agency afterward.
The fit goes beyond the bat. Paredes can cover first base, and the Red Sox would have more infield depth if he landed in Boston.
He could also slide in as the designated hitter and let the rest of the lineup sort itself out from there. Boston didn’t have much first base depth behind Willson Contreras last year, and Paredes would address that directly.
Houston, meanwhile, has its own reasons to listen. The Astros need help in the outfield and could use pitching, too.
They finished the 2026 season 24th in team ERA at 4.45, and Boston has the kind of excess the Astros need, even with Sonny Gray still unresolved. Tanner Houck has one more season of team control.
Kutter Crawford has two years left. A package could also start with Jarren Duran.
In other words, the pieces line up again. Boston has the kind of pitching and outfield depth Houston wants, and Houston has the kind of bat that would fit neatly into the Red Sox lineup. That is why this latest Paredes note should have Boston’s attention right now.
In Other News...
Cam Smith Is Trending Up But Astros Fans Can See Whats Missing
Cam Smith has given the Astros plenty to like in right field as his second season has unfolded. After a rookie year that left room for growth, his work has been steadier and more impactful, a sign that the athleticism the club saw in him is starting to show up more consistently on defense. For a team that has leaned on strong gloves in the outfield before, especially in right, that kind of progress matters.
Still, the contrast with Wilyer Abreu is hard to miss for anyone tracking the Gold Glove race. Abreus recent defensive profile has put him squarely in the conversation, while Smith remains in that next tier where the upside is clear but the polish is still catching up. The Astros have seen right fielders win Gold Gloves before, and Smiths trajectory suggests he can get there eventually, but there are still parts of the game that separate promising from elite. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Deadline Gamble Already Looks Worse Than Fans Expected
The Astros went into August hoping to solve two problems at once, dealing pitcher Spencer Arrighetti to Toronto for outfielder Daulton Varsho. At the time, it looked like the kind of deadline swing a contender can justify: add a veteran outfield bat, reshuffle the roster and trust the front office to have found the cleaner fit for a team with October ambitions.
Instead, the move has aged badly in a hurry. Varsho never settled in at the plate before season-ending wrist surgery ended his year, while Houston was sent home early from the postseason and is left staring at the same roster needs it tried to address in the first place. Even worse for the Astros, the pitcher they gave up is still in Torontos plans for years to come, leaving Houston with little short-term payoff and a reminder that deadline gambles do not always age gracefully. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Suddenly Have A Bigger Catcher Problem Than Christian Vazquez
The Astros have spent plenty of time weighing what comes next behind the plate with Christian Vazquez, whose defense and experience still matter in a lineup that has tried to balance pitching, game-calling and production. Vazquezs looming free agency gives the front office a familiar kind of offseason question, but the conversation around catcher has grown more complicated than a simple contract decision.
Yainer Diazs offensive regression since 2025 has pushed the issue into sharper focus, because Houston needs more than stability at catcher if it wants the position to help carry its roster rather than just manage it. If the club decides to look outside the organization, the market could put names like Carson Kelly, Tyler Stephenson and Ryan Jeffers into the mix as it searches for a better blend of offense and defense. [Read more 🡒]