The Red Sox have made a habit of chasing upgrades through the trade market, and Craig Breslow has shown he’s willing to swing big. Boston’s 2026 roster is already dotted with names who arrived that way - Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Erik Miller, Johan Oviedo, Adley Rutschman, Curtis Mead, Andruw Monasterio, Caleb Durbin, Eli White and Willson Contreras among them - and that approach could easily define the winter again.
That’s why Bryce Harper keeps coming up.
The Phillies star has been floated as a possible trade chip this offseason by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, provided Harper would agree to waive his no-trade clause. On paper, he looks like the kind of bat Boston could build around. In practice, this is still a long shot, but it’s the sort of deal that at least makes sense enough to sketch out.
One mock framework would send Jarren Duran, Kristian Campbell and Tanner Houck to Philadelphia for Harper. The logic on the Phillies’ side starts with the outfield, which was shaky in 2026, while Adolis Garcia is set to hit free agency.
Duran had a rough 2026 season, but the upside is obvious: he posted 9.0 wins above replacement in 2024 and 4.9 in 2025, so there’s reason to think he can rebound. Campbell would be the centerpiece of the return.
He’s only 24, already has a long-term deal, and could fit either in the outfield or at the spot currently held by Luis Arraez in the infield.
Houck adds another layer. He’s healthy now, was an All-Star in his last full season in 2024, and after missing all of the 2026 season except the regular season finale, he could help either in the rotation or out of the bullpen. There’s also a Boston connection there: Houck was taken in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft, when Dave Dombrowski was still running baseball operations for the Red Sox.
Still, the biggest hurdles are obvious. The Phillies would have to actually decide to move a two-time MVP, Harper would have to agree to go, and the money has to work.
He has five years left on his contract, with salaries of just over $27 million in 2027 and 2028, then just over $23 million in each of the final three seasons. That’s a serious commitment, but for Boston, it would be the kind of money better spent than similar dollars on Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki.
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Phillies Could Sacrifice Core Pieces To Fix A Familiar Problem
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Duran is expected to stay put, but Marsh and Stott are the kinds of controllable pieces that can draw interest if the Phillies decide payroll flexibility matters more than continuity. Moving either one would not just be about subtraction, either. It would be part of a broader attempt to reshape the roster and chase upgrades in other spots, a reminder that even a contender can be pushed toward tough choices when the same needs keep surfacing each offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Could Be Headed For An Offseason Shakeup Off The Field
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A decision from the Athletics is expected soon, and the ripple effect could be felt in Philadelphia if Fuld gets the nod. His departure would leave a vacancy in the Phillies front office and add another layer of uncertainty to an organization that could soon be navigating more than just roster questions as it heads into the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Trea Turner Has Become The Phillies' Toughest Offseason Debate
The Phillies are heading into an offseason that figures to be more restless than routine, and Trea Turner sits right in the middle of it. After a disappointing year, the front office has reason to examine almost every part of the roster, and Turners name is already surfacing in the kind of conversations that tend to follow a season that falls short of expectations. His contract alone makes any discussion complicated, and the fact that he is still a high-profile piece only raises the stakes for what comes next.
Even so, a trade feels like the sort of idea that gets talked through more than acted on. Turners age and recent struggles only add to the uncertainty, and the more immediate issue may be whether the Phillies decide he belongs somewhere other than shortstop. A move like that would not solve everything, but it would say a lot about how the club plans to balance its present with its future. [Read more 🡒]