If the Red Sox want to make a real leap in 2027, the cleanest path might be the simplest one: add another middle-of-the-order bat.
Boston’s roster doesn’t have many obvious holes to patch this winter, even after the noise that followed the early playoff exit against the New York Yankees. The bigger issue is power, and the easiest place to find it would be at designated hitter.
With the roster built the way it is, that role is likely to be occupied by one of the outfielders, probably Jarren Duran or Roman Anthony. If the Red Sox moved Duran in an offseason trade and brought in a major bat, the entire look of the lineup would change.
That’s why Bryce Harper keeps coming up as the dream fit.
The Philadelphia Phillies star has already generated some buzz this offseason, though there’s no indication that a move is likely right now. Harper has a no-trade clause, and it’s not even clear the Phillies would put him on the market.
Even if they did, the biggest question would be whether Harper would agree to go. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal made clear that getting him to waive the clause would not be easy.
"For Harper to join, say, the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox or in a long shot, the Athletics, who will play one more season in West Sacramento before moving to his hometown of Las Vegas in 2028, he likely would require a contract extension," Rosenthal wrote. "Interested teams could view Harper as either a first baseman or right fielder."
Harper has five years left on the 13-year, $330 million deal he signed. He’ll make just over $27 million in each of the next two seasons, then just over $23 million in each of the following three years through the 2031 campaign. He’s 34 now and will be 38 during that final season, which means any new extension would almost certainly carry him beyond his age-38 year.
On paper, the current deal is a bargain. Plenty of players around the league are making more than $30 million per season, and Harper remains a star while taking in less than $30 million over the next five years. But if a team is serious about convincing him to move, an extension would likely have to carry into at least his age-40 season.
That’s the gamble. Harper is still the kind of player who can change a lineup overnight, and if the Phillies were willing to listen and he needed an extension, he’d be worth the call.
The long-term shape of the contract might not hold up perfectly, but right now he looks like the missing piece. And if that missing piece helped bring Boston a few championships, the math would look a lot different.
In Other News...
Phillies Prospect Gabriel Barbosa Just Got The News Everyone Hoped For
Gabriel Barbosa got the kind of update everyone around the Phillies organization has been waiting on since his diagnosis in July. The minor league pitcher, who has worked his way through Philadelphias system, has now been declared cancer-free after surgery and three months of treatment for stage three colon cancer, a remarkably uplifting turn for a young player whose baseball future was suddenly put in far more important hands.
Barbosa does not currently need chemotherapy or radiotherapy, though his medical team may still consider immunotherapy. For now, the news is about health first and baseball second, and that alone makes it a significant moment for a Phillies prospect who has already shown enough resilience off the field to make every next step back in the game feel meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Dombrowski Just Raised The Stakes On Phillies' Outfield Plan
The Phillies offseason checklist already had a few obvious items, but the outfield may have become the clearest place where the front office expects to shop outside the organization. Dave Dombrowski made it sound as if the club does not currently have an internal outfielder ready to step into a key role, which sharpens the conversation around how much help this group needs beyond just catcher and shortstop.
There are still a few paths the Phillies can explore, from keeping Bryan De La Cruz in the mix to continuing to develop Justin Crawford, but the comments point to a more aggressive search for established talent. Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki fit that sort of profile, though qualifying offers could make either pursuit more complicated and add another layer to a winter that is already starting to feel high-stakes. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Face A Tough Brandon Marsh Decision This Offseason
The Phillies are heading into an offseason with a familiar checklist, and the outfield is near the top of it. Brandon Marsh spent the first half of the season looking like one of the more reliable pieces in the lineup, but his production tailed off badly after the break, leaving the front office with a tougher evaluation than it had a few months ago. With bullpen help also on the agenda, the team has plenty to weigh as it tries to sharpen the roster for next season.
Marshs situation is especially tricky because the Phillies still have to decide what his role should look like moving forward. A platoon arrangement could be part of the discussion, but the club may also have to consider bigger changes depending on how arbitration plays out. For a team trying to build around a more balanced roster, the question is no longer just what Marsh was in the first half - its what the Phillies believe he can still be going forward. [Read more 🡒]