Jump to content
Talk Sox
  • Create Account

  • Boston Red Sox Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits

    The latest Boston Red Sox free agent and trade rumors, along with notes and tidbits about the team.
    Show all categories
    Nick John
    The Boston Red Sox received some injury updates Tuesday afternoon before the second game of their three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Following the injuries to outfielder Masataka Yoshida and pitchers Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten, the three were scheduled for MRIs. Only two of them came back positive. 
    As first reported by MassLive's Chris Cotillo, both Whitlock and Slaten received good news as there was no structural damage, just inflammation, found in both of their MRIs. The two key pitchers of the Red Sox bullpen will remain shut down for now with the length of their downtime unknown. 
    Yoshida, on the other hand, received tough news as his injury turned out to be significant with there being a chance he misses the remainder of the regular season. The loss of Yoshida's bat is a major blow to the Red Sox as they look to make it back to the postseason. In his last 22 games, the outfielder was hitting .292/.361/.403 with five doubles, one home run and 10 RBIs. 
    The Red Sox also gave an update on Tanner Houck, stating that he threw a live bullpen session in Fort Myers and that it is now possible he could return this season. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery on August 18, 2025. 
    Alex Mayes
    The Boston Red Sox are set to call up RHP Wyatt Olds from the WooSox before today’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks according to Section 10's Tyler Milliken. 
    Olds currently sports a 5-6 record on the season with a 5.33 ERA over 50.2 innings pitched. He’s secured five saves over the season as well. 
    Although no corresponding move has been announced as of this writing, Olds will likely replace LHP Raymond Burgos in the bullpen as the team looks to maximize their minor-league pitching depth that can help the big-league club as they navigate a world without both Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten for the foreseeable future. Expect this to be a fairly constant roster shuffle for the Red Sox until they start to get their leverage arms back. 
    Olds features a four-pitch mix that includes a four-seam fastball that tops out at 96.8 mph, a slider, cutter, and a changeup. It will be interesting to see where he slots in the bullpen mix since very few spots are currently locked down, but it stands to reason he may only be up for the bullpen game that is planned for game one of the series against Arizona.
    Alex Mayes
    The Red Sox were dealt yet another injury blow on Saturday. Both Masataka Yoshida (hamstring) and Justin Slaten (right elbow soreness) have landed on the injured list before the rubber match against the Pirates on Sunday. 
    To replace them, Mickey Gasper and Raymond Burgos have been called up to the major league roster. 
    We last saw Gasper in June when he was called up amid a torrid streak with the WooSox. He continued that hot streak for a while with the Red Sox but ultimately cooled off against major league pitching. Since being optioned, he’s continued to hit at an incredible clip. He’s slashing .337/.450/.566 with the WooSox this season. It’s unclear just how Gasper will slot into the lineup as of this writing, but he figures to get quite a bit of play at DH while he’s up. 
    Burgos has made two appearances with the Red Sox this season, tossing six combined innings. For the WooSox, he’s sitting at a 5.54 ERA over 65 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts and a 1.62 WHIP. While he doesn’t directly replace Slaten’s backend abilities, he can eat innings, and that’s something the Red Sox are going to need while both Slaten and Garrett Whitlock are on the IL.
    The Red Sox can’t seem to dodge the injury bug as we cross the midpoint of the month of August. There are reinforcements on the way, but both Chad Tracy and Craig Breslow are in unenviable spots with roster construction right now. 
    Alex Mayes
    In what could be a huge boon to the Red Sox as they look to bounce back from dropping their last seven of eight games, Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are all set to begin rehab assignments throughout various levels of the organization.
    First, Story has already reported to Worcester and will start his 20-day clock ticking on Sunday. It will be curious to see if he immediately slides into his usual shortstop position with the quick-rising Franklin Arias manning the position already for the WooSox, or if Story spends some time playing second base. 
    Anthony will report to the Portland Sea Dogs on Tuesday straight from Fort Myers, where he’s been hitting off a high-velocity Trajekt machine to get his timing down. He will also have the typical 20-day ramp-up period before he has to be recalled to the 26-man roster. It’s unclear how much of that window he will need, at least from an offensive standpoint, because he has been consistently taking outfield reps while his partially torn right ring finger tendon was healing.
    Finally, Kiner-Falefa has also already reported to Worcester but will be the last to start his rehab assignment on Wednesday. He’s rehabbing a left forearm stress reaction that came from him swinging the bat too hard as he started heating up earlier this season. 
    The more difficult part of each one of these guys getting closer to rejoining the Red Sox is how interim manager Chad Tracy will shuffle the lineups on a daily basis. There are a number of guys who have been seeing regular playing time who will either head to the bench in a backup role or could get the call from Craig Breslow that they are headed back to Worcester until rosters expand next month. 
    Nick John
    The Boston Red Sox made a change to their pitching staff once more on Wednesday morning, as the team recalled left-hander Alec Gamboa from Worcester (as first reported by the Telegram & Gazette's Tommy Cassell).
    Gamboa last pitched for Worcester on August 7 and will be able to provide the team with innings out of the bullpen. The left-handed pitcher made his major-league debut this season with Boston and has made seven appearances overall. He's handled 13 innings out of the bullpen, recording one save and allowing just three earned runs while striking out 12 batters. 
    To make room for him on the active roster, the team is expected to designate Seth Martinez for assignment. Martinez pitched in one game for Boston, appearing in the August 11 game against Toronto and tossing one inning while allowing one run on two hits.
    The Seth Martinez news was first reported by MassLive's Chris Cotillo.
    This will be the Red Sox fifth transaction for pitching since optioning Greg Weissert to Worcester on August 7. 
    Nick John
    A busy Trade Deadline Day continued to provide the Red Sox with a new roster as Breslow completed a trade with the Atlanta Braves. The Red Sox sent Tyler Uberstine to Atlanta and received Eli White in return.
    Uberstine was drafted by the Red Sox in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and worked his way through the system before being added to the 40-man roster following the 2025 season. Entering 2026, he was viewed as starting pitching depth but was moved to the bullpen after the Boston bullpen needed reinforcements early in the season. The right-hander made his debut with Boston on April 5, where he pitched 2 2/3 innings and took the loss after surrendering one run. Shortly after the outing, Uberstine ended up on the injured list, where he began a rehab assignment on May 26. Overall, he’s made 15 appearances for Worcester, tossing 32 innings with a 2.81 ERA. Atlanta receives a serviceable arm that will provide them with innings either at the back end of their rotation or out of the bullpen.
    For Boston, they received White. An outfielder, White has been used as a defensive replacement and pinch runner late in the game, with only 34 of his 60 games played being starts. Mostly playing right field, White has also seen time in left and center field. He is also viewed as a rather fast runner, being in the 99th percentile for sprint speed. In the playoffs, that could be a game-changer in late-inning situations as a pinch runner. Offensively, there isn’t much to talk about as he’s near the bottom of all offensive metrics if he qualified for them. He has hit left-handed pitchers better, slashing .241/.312/.446 in 83 at-bats this season.
    Steve Drumwright
    One of the more coveted arms at the trade deadline hasn't pitched in an MLB game since mid-May. That is not stopping contenders from pursuing New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes.
    According to multiple reports, including Ari Alexander of Boston TV station WHDH, the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox are among the chief competitors for the right-handed starter. Holmes has been out since taking a line drive off his right leg, resulting in a fractured right fibula May 15.
    But Holmes made what was expected to be a final rehab appearance Sunday at High A, pitching 5⅓ innings (73 pitches) and allowing four runs, three earned. He was a bright spot in a dismal Mets season before going down, posting a 3.21 FIP (2.39 ERA) in nine starts and 52⅔ innings, with an 8.4% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate.
    Holmes is being paid $13 million this year (about $3.8 million remaining) and $12 million next year. That plus the number of suitors means Holmes will come at a decent prospect cost.
    Matthew Nethercott
    As has been rumored for days now, the Red Sox are in the market, with their AL East foes, the Yankees and the Rays, for a catcher. Reports over the past 48 hours indicate that Orioles' Adley Rutschman could hit the market, with the latest report coming from Mark Feinstand of MLB.com. 
    With the Orioles sitting two games under .500 going into their game against the Phillies tonight, their status as sellers could become clear within the coming days.
    In a story earlier today, insider Joel Sherman noted that the Orioles will have no issue dealing in the division, saying “one item that will not deter the Orioles if they trade Rutschman is doing so within the AL East, a source said." 
    Rutschman is having a productive 2026 after a down 2025, posting a 115 wRC+ over 284 plate appearances, which is much higher than the 92 wRC+ he posted last season. Rutschman has been on the IL multiple times this season, including right now with left wrist inflammation. Earlier this season, it was left-ankle inflammation and a concussion that kept him on the IL for 10 days each.
    Rutschman has superstar potential in him and could bring great defense and a great bat to any contender he gets moved to, if he's moved, of course. Rutschman also comes with team control for 2027, so he is not a rental and would be a big impact next season.
     
     
    Steve Drumwright
    The Boston Red Sox may have narrowed their focus to one shortstop as Monday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline approaches, but the price could be their top prospect. The discussion now is whether that is the proper price to pay to upgrade one of the most important positions on the field.
    Franklin Arias, Talk Sox's No. 1 prospect who was just recently promoted to play shortstop at Triple-A Worcester, is a big name being bandied about, although there are no discussions under way to acquire an MLB shortstop, Jen McCaffrey and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote in an article posted Saturday.
    That same report, citing one MLB executive, said the only way Arias could possibly be included in a deal was for All-Star Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams. Seemingly that would rule out Zack Neto of the Los Angeles Angels, while Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins has already been crossed off.
    The 25-year-old Abrams entered Saturday with a .290/.367/.563 slash line, with that .563 slugging percentage leading the NL. He has 28 homers and 21 doubles and 83 RBIs. All but the doubles are the best numbers of his career.
    Abrams is making $4.2 million this season and has two more years of club control.
    Arias played second base for the second consecutive game Saturday after having only played the position five times in 75 games at Double-A Portland. Saturday marked Arias' sixth game at Triple-A.
     
    Matthew Nethercott
    The Seattle Mariners are listening on most of their starting rotation, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
    Passan reported Saturday afternoon that multiple teams have engaged in discussions about right-handed pitcher George Kirby, as well as right-hander Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock.
    Kirby, 28, is earning $6.55 million this season after avoiding arbitration and remains under team control through 2028. This season, he's sporting a 20.9% strikeout rate and a 20.9% whiff rate, both of which sit below average, offset by an elite 5.7% walk rate. His 3.33 FIP edges his 3.76 xERA, but quality of contact has crept up (.303 xwOBA, .384 xSLG, 42.0% hard-hit), leaving him reliant on limiting damage in the zone. The 96.6 mph fastball still plays; the swing-and-miss less so.
    The Red Sox are always looking at pitching, making any three of these pitchers a fit.
     
     
    Steve Drumwright
    While at first glance Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena doesn't feel like a great fit in a crowded Boston Red Sox outfield, he does have one attribute that could be a boon to the offense.
    He hits right-handed.
    With the Red Sox skewed left-handed when it comes to hitters, Arozarena would help balance that out. Arozarena is having a nice bounce-back year in 2026 with the Mariners, posting a .280/.375/.447 slash line with 13 homers and 48 RBIs in 103 games entering play Saturday. That .280 average is the highest since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he hit .281 in 23 games. His power numbers are down from the 27 homers he hit last year, his first full season in pitcher-friendly Seattle, but that right-handed power would look good attacking the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
    Arozarena is making $15.65 million this year and is a free agent, so the cost to extract him from the Mariners might not be too great, although Seattle is still pushing for a postseason spot of its own. It also could be an opportunity to move an outfielder who may not fit the Red Sox's plans moving forward.
     
    Matthew Nethercott
    The Red Sox have been searching for a shortstop in recent days as the 2026 MLB trade deadline nears. It was reported earlier in the week that the Red Sox had interest in Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez. Sean McAdam of MassLive is reporting that those talks are "dead", with the two sides not having communicated as much in recent days.
    McAdam added that the Marlins are not motivated to move Lopez with years of club control remaining.
    It can be assumed that the Red Sox will remain active in talks to acquire a shortstop, with Angels Zach Neto and Nationals CJ Abrams remaining the best options for Boston to acquire before Monday night at 6:00pm EST.
    Matthew Lenz
    With a depleted rotation creating uncertainty heading into the stretch run, the Boston Red Sox are expected to prioritize adding a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. While injuries and inconsistent performance have left shortstop and second base unsettled, the bigger need comes on the mound, where an established starter could help stabilize the staff. The Red Sox could still explore upgrades up the middle defensively, including at catcher and in the infield, but adding rotation help is the clearest path to strengthening the roster.

    Multiple MLB insiders are reporting that Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene is drawing significant trade interest, though the Red Sox haven't been formally tied to the 26-year-old righty.

    Greene, who is under team control through 2029, has only made four starts in 2026. Though his ERA is 7.06, his 3.20 FIP suggests that the gloves behind him have been a large reason for the inflated ERA. He's pitched to a 23.5% strikeout-minus-walk (K-BB) rate across 21 2/3 innings. Though the former 2nd overall pick is young and controllable, durability has certainly been a huge question mark in his first five big league seasons.
    Do you think the Red Sox should take a chance on the fireballer? Join the conversation in the comments!
     
     
    Steve Drumwright
    If the Boston Red Sox are truly going to acquire controllable talent at the trade deadline instead of a two-month rental, it might hurt a little bit when it comes to prospect capital.
    One area the Red Sox would love to find a long-term solution is catcher—and the most popular name when it comes to a controllable player and production is Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies.
    The 26-year-old is third in MLB with 31 homers, matching his 2025 total, and has a .254/.326/.545 slash line with 60 RBIs. While some might think he is just a product of the thin air at Coors Field, 18 of Goodman's homers have come on the road. While Goodman's defense has been questioned, that is something a team can work on.
    That type of right-handed power would look terrific at Fenway Park, right?
    But with the Rockies turning a corner under a new front office and actually looking competent, Colorado isn't necessarily in the mood to ship off a player the team can build around. Goodman is making $810,000, just above the MLB minimum, and has three more years of club control.
    So that makes the price a stiff one for competitors to pry away Goodman. Combine that with two other AL East rivals, the New York Yankees and first-place Tampa Bay Rays, also seeking a catcher before Monday's deadline, and the price increases that much more.
    According to several reports, the Rockies are looking at the very top of the prospect list if they are going to surrender their young star. For the Red Sox, that begins with shortstop Franklin Arias, who was just promoted to Triple-A Worcester and homered in his first plate appearance. The 20-year-old, Talk Sox's No. 1 prospect, entered play Friday with a .307/.393/.570 slash line in 79 games between Double-A and Triple-A this year.
    With a 15-game winning streak flipping the script on the Red Sox this month, would that price be worth it to not only guarantee a postseason spot but make a deep run to a World Series?
     
    Matthew Nethercott
    The Red Sox are among the teams that have 'checked in' on Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera, according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Other AL East teams in need of catching help, like the rival Yankees, have also checked in. The Red Sox have gotten little production from the catcher position this season, with the position posting a 78 WRC+. 
    Herrera has posted a 111 WRC+ in 472 plate appearances, which would be a significant upgrade behind the plate for Boston. The best part is Herrera comes with club control through 2030, which would give the Red Sox some stability behind the plate for a few seasons to come, which is a nice alternative to Connor Wong and Carlos Narvaez, who currently anchor the position.
    Behind the plate, Herrera is not the best defensive option, however. Herrera has posted -2 defensive runs saved over 347.0 innings logged while catching. Herrera is also not the best framer behind the plate, but that might not matter to teams as much with ABS, which Herrera has been above league average with behind the plate (63% overturn rate, according to Statcast).
    Matthew Nethercott
    The Red Sox have shown interest in infielder Otto Lopez of the Miami Marlins, according to Buster Onlely of ESPN. Lopez currently leads the league in batting average (.328) and is truly a game-changer.
    With the injury to the newly acquired Curtis Mead that will sideline him for an unknown period of time, Boston is looking for other options to play middle infield and make an impact on each game. Lopez has 7 defensive runs saved at shortstop, which is tied for the third most in baseball, and would help the Red Sox' defense. Lopez also has logged some innings at second base this season and has been a good defender at that position as well.
    Onley also notes that any alternative brought in to play shortstop will replace Marcelo Mayer when he returns from the IL at the position. 
    If it was not clear before, the Red Sox are going for it at this deadline.
×
×
  • Create New...