The Boston Red Sox are down to the wire and still hunting for another bat, with the trade deadline only a few hours away. Curtis Mead arrived earlier in the week, but his debut with the club ended quickly when he fractured his wrist after being hit by a pitch on his hand/wrist, and now he’s on the Injured List.
Even before that setback, Boston’s search was clearly not finished. The Red Sox have been linked to shortstop and catcher help, and the market has produced a long list of names.
Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels has come up the most often, though the reported asking price is steep. On the catching side, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe floated a name that hasn’t been talked about nearly as much: Francisco Alvarez of the New York Mets.
"The Sox have been connected to virtually every shortstop and catcher on the market - some unavailable (Elly De La Cruz, Otto Lopez), and some who remain available in the right deal (CJ Abrams, Zach Neto, Liam Hicks, Francisco Alvarez, Hunter Goodman, among others)," Speier wrote.
If Boston could pry Alvarez loose, it would be a major get. He’s 24, controlled by the Mets through 2029, and has already shown the kind of middle-of-the-order pop that can change a lineup. In 2023, he hit 25 homers and drove in 63 runs in 123 games as a rookie.
This season, Alvarez has played in 76 games and is hitting .255/.341/.440 with a .781 OPS, along with 12 homers, 27 RBIs, nine doubles and 25 runs scored.
The fit is obvious for Boston because catcher has become a problem. Carlos Narváez opened the year looking like a possible catcher of the future, but his production has fallen off sharply. In 62 games, he’s hitting .187/.260/.275 with three homers and 10 RBIs.
A right-handed bat with Alvarez’s upside would give the Red Sox exactly the kind of upgrade they’ve been chasing. And with New York moving pieces out, the Mets catcher would be a huge prize if Craig Breslow and Boston can get something done before the deadline.
In Other News...
Mets Just Sent A Bigger Trade Deadline Message Than Fans Expected
The Mets kept their deadline week movement going by dealing a controllable arm out of the bullpen and bringing back a pair of minor-league pitchers with limited big league experience. It is the kind of swap that says as much about roster planning as it does about immediate help, especially with the club still sorting through how aggressive it wants to be before the deadline.
For a team trying to balance present needs with long-term flexibility, moving on from a reliever who had multiple seasons left on his deal is a notable signal. Chicago gets a major league piece, while New York adds Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin to the pipeline, and the larger question now is how many more moves are coming as the Mets keep reshaping the roster around the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Just Paid A Real Prospect Price For An October Push
The Cubs made a real prospect-level commitment to sharpen their roster for October, landing right-hander Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the Mets in a move aimed at immediate help. Holmes is working back from the injured list and should add another arm to the mix soon, while Taylor brings veteran depth to the outfield as Chicago tries to tighten things up for a postseason push.
For the Mets, the return is the kind that says a deal has value beyond the present tense, since the package includes top infield prospect Jefferson Rojas. It is a reminder that deadline-style moves often come with a cost on the other side, and New York now gets to sort out how that young talent fits into its bigger picture while Chicago focuses on what Holmes and Taylor can provide right away. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Deadline Catching Move Could Signal Something Bigger
Catching depth was always going to matter for the Dodgers down the stretch, and they turned to a familiar name by bringing back Ben Rortvedt in a deadline move with the Mets. Los Angeles has been navigating injuries behind the plate with Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, so Rortvedt gives them a reliable option for the rest of the season and a player who already knows what life looks like in that clubhouse.
For the Mets, the move brings pitcher Chayce McDermott into the organization and clears a path to keep reshaping the roster around needs that go beyond one position. Rortvedts return to Los Angeles is notable because of what he meant there before, and it is also the kind of deal that can hint at bigger conversations still unfolding as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]