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    Trade and free agent rumors posted here.

    95 rumors in this category

      Matthew Lenz

      Following the trade that netted them Caleb Durban and three other assets, the Boston Red Sox reportedly are not done, making moves that could impact the opening day roster. Most notably, having dealt away from their big league pitching staff, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is looking to reinforce one area of that pitching staff.

      Tim Healey of the Boston Globe is reporting that  Breslow is "continuing to look" at bullpen additions. He adds that they could still dig into their starting pitcher surplus to fill that need.

      Bolstering the bullpen has been a secondary goal of the front office all offseason, and they prioritized chasing middle-of-the-order bats and players who could fill the void at third base. Following the acquisition of Caleb Durbin, they can now hone in on improving their group of relievers. Check out Alex Mays' article on how they could accomplish that via a trade. Otherwise, the free agent market is filled with names that have a track record of being solid but may be past those years, such as a David Robertson or Rafael Montero.

      The most realistic outcome feels like an internal move that sees a starting pitcher transition into a relief role. Whether that would mean an experienced starter like Brayan Bello, or Johan Oviedo, or possibly a high-ceiling prospect like Payton Tolle or Connelly Early remains to be seen.

      How do you think the Boston Red Sox should improve their bullpen internally, in a trade, or via free agency? Let us know in the comments!

      Matthew Lenz

      Before acquiring Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and a comp B pick, the Boston Red Sox had their sights set on a different player to fill their infield needs.

      Sean McAdam of MassLive wrote the following: "With Marte off the market, the Red Sox, according to an industry source, took several tries at obtaining Zach Neto from the Los Angeles Angels". He added that "Neto could have moved [off shortstop] to either second or third for the time being until Trevor Story’s deal was up." However, the Halos "set a very high bar" to acquire Neto.

      Neto, 25, played 128 games in 2025, carrying a .793 OPS with 26 home runs and swiping 26 bags. In two plus years in the big leagues, Neto has now posted a 115 wRC+ or better in back-to-back seasons. However, his -6 Outs Above Average indicates that shortstop may not be his best position long term, but that the hot corner or keystone, in fact, are better defensive spots for the righty. 

      Do you think the Red Sox made the right move in acquiring Durbin instead of giving up what it took for Neto? Let us know in the comments!

      Brock Beauchamp

      Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that Red Sox closer and soon-to-be free agent Kenley Jansen is open to returning to the Red Sox but wants to pitch for a contender in 2025. The 36-year-old right-hander acknowledges he is in the twilight of his career and wants to make the most of his remaining years.

      While Jansen is in the latter-half of his 30s, he has shown few signs of slowing down. In his two seasons with Boston, he has pitched in 102 games with a 125 ERA+ and 111 strikeouts in 96.1 innings pitched.

      Given the volatility of relievers, particularly aging relievers, it's hard to predict what the free agent market will offer Jansen. He may have to settle for a one-year deal but if a desperate team aggressively pursues him, a two-year contract might be in play.

      Would you bring back Jansen for 2025 and what kind of contract would you be willing to offer him?

      Brock Beauchamp

      Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow met with journalists (including The Boston Globe's Alex Speier) in Toronto and mentioned some goals for the Red Sox this winter.

      The key takeaways were an interest in bringing back outfielder Tyler O'Neill for 2025 and beyond. O'Neill, a bounceback candidate coming out of St Louis, bounced back in the biggest way possible this season. He smacked 31 home runs and posted a 131 OPS+. The righty should be in demand this offseason.

      Additionally, Breslow had this to say about the offseason:

      Quote

      “I think it’s likely some of that comes via trade, because there’s only so many middle infielders and lefthanded hitting outfielders we can play at any given time.”

      This is an interesting statement in that it's rare to see baseball executives openly suggest they're going to trade away players before the season has even ended. It makes a lot of sense given Boston's left-handedness and trading from positions to strength to fill team weaknesses. But who do you think might be dangled as trade bait this winter?

      Brock Beauchamp

      Rob Bradford of WEEI tweeted that right-handed slugger Tyler O'Neill talked to Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow and that there is "definitely mutual interest" in returning for the 2025 season and beyond.

      The 29-year-old Canadian outfielder earned $5.85 million playing with the Sox in 2024, slugged 31 home runs, and had his best offensive season since 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He also filled an important niche for the left-hand-dominant Red Sox, posting a 1.180 OPS against left-handed pitching.

      Any contract to O'Neill will require 3+ years at a rather high annual rate. What would you pay to retain the not-yet-30 outfielder?

      Brock Beauchamp

      Jeff Passan of ESPN reported today that 34-year-old Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano will enter MLB free agency this offseason. 

      Sugano will turn 35 in a week and it's hard to predict what kind of results he can expect against MLB hitters. Once a relatively hard-thrower, the righty now sits around 92 mph and controls six pitches. He's the epitome of a crafty veteran, striking out only six batters per nine innings in NPB.

      Unlike most other Japanese baseball imports, Sugano is an unrestricted free agent. There will be no posting period and all teams can vie for his services as if he was a typical MLB free agent.

      Brock Beauchamp

      Chris Cotillo of MassLive recently reported that there was friction between the Red Sox and Masataka Yoshida earlier this season over an injured left thumb. The Red Sox put Yoshida on the injured list but after an evaluation, decided surgery was not necessary. Yoshida then proceeded to pursue a second and then third opinion on the matter, which apparently rubbed team officials the wrong way. 

      Yoshida has been a capable hitter in the majors, though with very little power. He has a career 111 OPS+ (11% above league average with the stick) but hits left-handed while the Red Sox believe they need to become more right-handed this offseason. Additionally, Yoshida has not shown to be a capable outfielder with Boston slotting him into permanent designated hitter duties in 2024.

      Yoshida is owed $55.8 million over the next three seasons.

      Matthew Lenz

      Alex Speier of the Boston Globe recently reported that the Red Sox will be aggressive this offseason, quoting Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy as saying “It’s time to take that next step. It really is time. In their reporting, MLBTR cautiously reminds fans of chairman Tom Werner’s “full throttle” comments ahead of last offseason.

      The Red Sox enter the offseason with promising depth in the farm system, but have holes to fill in their pitching staff as Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, and Nick Pivetta are set to be free agents. From a starters perspective, this free agent class is headlined by the likes of Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell with other attractive options including Jack Flaherty and Max Fried. The reliever class lacks an elite name like Burnes or Snell, but does include star power with Aroldis Chapman headlining the group followed by a solid group of high leverage arms in Jeff Hoffman and AJ Minter, among others.

      What names and positions would you like to see the Red Sox pursue this offseason?

      Brock Beauchamp

      Chris Cotillo of MassLive wrote recently that there is desire within the Red Sox organization to pursue 29-year-old Willy Adames and they value the shortstop highly. It's an... interesting... idea that evokes comparisons to the Padres of the past five years in the "gotta catch 'em all" approach to middle infielders. The Sox already have a rather loaded - if inconsistent - infield picture heading into the 2025 season.

      Additionally, there are concerns about Adames' steep defensive fall-off this season. While a plus defender at short in previous seasons, he backslid in almost all metrics in 2024, posting a -16 Defensive Runs Saved and a +0 Outs Above Average. Both stats are far down from Adames's previous two seasons, when he was well above average.

      Matthew Lenz

      The Rangers are reportedly looking to get under the $241MM luxury tax threshold, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. 

      MLBTR goes on to suggest that arbitration eligible players such as RHP Dane Dunning, OF Leody Taveras, and 1B Nathaniel Lowe as possible non-tender candidates. This was not suggested, but one route is to tender these players and then try to trade them to recoup some value. As the Minnesota Twins learned last season with Kyle Farmer, that can be a risky route to take. Other big contracts include Jacob DeGrom and Jon Gray although, considering they already have a need for starting pitching, they may not be overly willing to move those players.

      Looking at the arbitration players, the Red Sox could use any of the three players listed for some added flexibility and depth on their active roster or in their pitching staff. Nathaniel Lowe and Leody Taveras grade out as slightly above average defenders with decent bats, while Dane Dunning has experience as a starter and reliever with moderate success in both roles.

      Given Ray Davis' "number 1 priority" to get under the luxury tax threshold, any of these players could likely be had for a fairly cheap price in addition to their team friendly standing as arbitration eligible players.

      Adolis Garcia is another name they could pursue as a buy-low candidate, although the Texas Rangers may be more inclined to keep outfielder who made headlines during their 2023 World Series run.

      Should the Red Sox pursue any of the Texas Rangers?

      Brock Beauchamp

      MLB Trade Rumors released their top 35 trade candidates for the 2024-2025 offseason. The only Red Sox player to make the list is outfielder Wilyer Abreu.

      There is consternation from both within and without the organization that the Red Sox need to become less left-handed in 2025. While they have several options to accomplish this goal (Abreu, Triston Casas, and Jarren Duran), Abreu is probably the easiest choice of the three: Casas is a work in progress, Duran is wildly valuable in the here and now, and Abreu sits in the middle. He carries significant value today after a strong rookie campaign (114 OPS+), has lengthy team control at the minimum salary, and can be flipped to fill a need in 2025 without causing catastrophic damage to the Red Sox lineup.

      Matthew Lenz

      On a recent Baseball Tonight podcast, Buster Olney said "I think it’s a slam dunk he’s going to be traded, and the two teams I’m watching are the Mets and the Red Sox.”

      This would be a great get for a Red Sox team that needs an "Ace" to lead their already solid rotation. While the cost will require a massive amount of prospect capital, Olney further stated that “teams that are trying to acquire Crochet know that he will sign an extension" so this would be more than just a two-year "rental".

      The 25-year-old southpaw became a full-time starter in 2024 after three seasons in a relief role and posted a 3.58 ERA / 2.69 FIP and an elite 29.6% K-BB rate across 146 innings. His 97 mile-per-hour fastball was one of the most effective pitches in baseball holding opponents to a .198 batting average and producing a run value of 15. He also has a cutter, sweeper, and changeup.

      Yes, the price will be immense but acquiring an elite 25-year-old, controllable starter is hard to pass up.

      Matthew Lenz

      The Red Sox Chief Baseball Operator missed an opportunity to "raise the roof", but he was recently quoted as saying "We know we need to raise the ceiling of the rotation."

      Buster Olney already linked them to Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, but even if that doesn't pan out the free agent class has plenty of top tier options to frontline the Red Sox starting rotation.

      The cream of the crop includes Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell with hurlers like Max Fried and Jack Flaherty a small tier below those names. They could also look to deepen their rotation by adding one or more of Nathan Eovaldi, Yusei Kikuchi, and Sean Manaea, all of which arguably be upgrades over their current number one Tanner Houck.

      Even without a true "Ace", the 2024 Red Sox starting rotation produced in the top third of baseball. Adding any of the starters would only improve their rotation and better prepare them for some fun in October 2025.

      The only question that remains is which starter(s) should they aggressively pursue?

      Matthew Lenz

      Recently, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Red Sox are showing interest in corner outfielder Teoscar Hernández.

      Coming off one of the best seasons of his career, Hernández bounced back from a down season in 2023 with an .840 OPS, 33 HR, and 12 stolen bases. Although he struggled in the postseason, many Dodgers players attribute him to being the reason they were in the World Series and, in an interview with Morosi, Bob Nightengale stated that he would be surprised if the Dodgers let him walk. The duo also reported that the Baltimore Orioles are showing interest in the former Blue Jay who will be entering his age 32 season in 2025.

      While Hernández did spend time in both corner outfield spots his glove grades far better in right field than it does in left, according the FanGraphs UZR/150 metric. To go along with his power bat, he also showcases a power arm with arm strength in the 70th percentile of all outfielders in 2024. If there's one wart the righty has, it's that his aggressiveness at the plate leads to a high amount of strikeouts and a low number of walks, but it pays off in the long run with his power.

      Would you like to see Teoscar Hernández in a Red Sox uniform?

      Matthew Lenz

      The Red Sox have been linked to yet another free agent starting pitcher. Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Red Sox have shown interest in former Atlanta Braves starter Max Fried.

      The left-hander will be entering his age 31 season after eight seasons with the Braves where he posted a 3.07 ERA / 3.29 FIP and 15.3% K-BB rate across 151 career starts.

      Fried is an extreme ground ball pitcher with an incredibly deep pitch mix. He features four plus pitches including a mid-90s four seam fastball, a curveball, a sinker, and a change up. He also has an effective sweeper and cutter.

      In their annual top 50 free agents predictions, MLBTR suggests that Fried could get a six year pact worth $156 million. Would you like to see the Red Sox nab this lefty off the market?

      Brock Beauchamp

      Roki Sasaki has nudged Juan Soto out of the limelight, at least for a day. The young Japanese phenom announced he will come to Major League Baseball in 2025.

      Sasaki, unlike last year's import Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will post under the minor league rules due to his age and experience in NPB. Remember when Shohei Ohtani came to America to play and all teams were in on him? Same thing here. There will be no $300 million contracts in play as with Yamamoto, meaning most teams should be courting the young right-hander this offseason.

      Sasaki has been simply phenomenal in Japan. He pitched all of the 2024 season as a 22-year-old and only turned 23 this week. In parts of three seasons in NPB, he has a 2.10 ERA and 505 strikeouts in only 394 innings pitched.

      Matthew Lenz

      In his most recent off-season update, Jeff Passan of ESPN ($$) confimed that "Juan Soto is at the top of the Red Sox want list" and stated the two sides are meeting this week. Many people who cover Major League Baseball expect the 26-year-old Soto will fetch more than $600 million on the free agent market.

      While the Red Sox do have large contracts on their payroll in Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida, and Trevor Story, their projected 2025 payroll is about one hundred million less than the levels they were at in the 2010's and their Chief Baseball Operator, Craig Breslow, has committed to "delivering a team that's capable of winning the AL East and making a deep playoff run."

      There's not a lot more that can be said about Juan Soto who is the most coveted free agent, maybe ever. He debuted in 2018 at 19-years-old finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting, and followed that up with a season that garnered him MVP votes and a World Series title. After four-plus seasons with the Nationals and multiple MVP worthy campaigns, he was dealt to the Padres before eventually making his way to the Bronx. In 2024, he posted a .989 OPS with 41 home runs, seven stolen bases, and maybe most impressively a 119:129 K:BB ratio.

      It's inarguable that Soto would be a massive upgrade for the Red Sox, but how much are you willing to fork over for the young superstar? 
       

      Update: here is more information related to Soto and the Red Sox.

       

      Matthew Lenz

      In his latest offseason update, Jeff Passan of ESPN states that Nick Pivetta "almost certainly won't accept the qualifying offer to return to Boston; at least a three-year deal awaits Pivetta in free agency." He goes on to specifically name the Cubs, Orioles, and Braves as teams who believe "his stuff plays like a frontline starter".

      It was a somewhat unexpected move for the Red Sox to make a qualifying offer on Pivetta, but it will pay off in the form of a compensation pick in the 2025 MLB Draft depending on the deal he receives in free agency.

      Over his eight year big league career, Pivetta has been one of the more solid and reliable starters in Major League Baseball averaging nearly 130 innings per season with a 4.36 FIP and a 17.4% K-BB rate. In 2024 he bested those careers marks with a 4.07 FIP and a 22.9% K-BB rate. Arguably his biggest red flag is his penchant to give up home runs as an extreme fly ballpitcher, something teams will definitely need to consider if they intend to sign the 32-year-old right hander.

      What's more surprising to you: Pivetta receiving a qualifying offer or possibly rejecting it?

      Matthew Lenz

      Rob Bradford of WEEI 93.7 is reporting that the Red Sox are one of several teams interested in 35-year-old right-handed starter Nathan Eovaldi.

      Eovaldi was previously with the Red Sox from 2018 to 2022 posting a 4.08 ERA / 3.73 FIP and helped the organization win the 2018 World Series. He has spent the previous two seasons with the Texas Rangers where he carried a 3.72 ERA / 3.86 FIP and won a second World Series in 2023.

      Specifically in 2024, Eovaldi had a 17.8% K-BB rate across 170 2/3 innings pitched, showing an ability to command the strike zone better than most anyone in baseball with chase and walk rates in the 80th percentile or better of all pitchers. One thing that has seemingly changed since his time in Boston is the effectiveness of his 95 mile-per-hour four-seam fastball that saw batters hit just .212 against the offering and had a run value of +7. This can at least be partly attributed to his four seamer having more glove side movement than it did with the Red Sox.

      The organization have made their intentions extremely clear in both words and actions. Craig Breslow has stated he is looking to build a team that can make a deep postseason run in 2025 and has now been tied to starting pitchers Max Fried, Garrett Crochet, and now Nathan Eovaldi, as well as outfield bats Juan Soto and Teoscar Hernandez. Now it's just a matter of who the purse most heavily and whether or not they can close the deal.

      Would you be interested in an Eovaldi reunion? If so, at what cost?

      Matthew Lenz

      On the "Foul Territory" podcast, Sean McAdam of MassLive.com was quoted as saying "I was told that the White Sox have interest in [Wilyer] Abreu and would be satisfied with him headlining -- obviously, not being the only guy in the deal."

      This should be viewed as a positive development for the Red Sox who have a surplus in the outfield, especially with prospects Kristian Campbell and Roman Anthony close to getting a shot on the Big League roster. They also have a need to diversify their heavy left-handed line up and recently been tied to right-handed hitting outfielder Tesoscar Hernandez.

      Abreu is coming off a Gold Glove rookie season at just 25-years-old while carrying a .781 OPS, hitting 15 runs, and stealing 8 bases. His power-over-contact approach results in quality batted ball data but also causes him to chase, whiff, and strikeout at above average rates. 

      There hasn't been any indication or substantive rumors as to who the additional piece(s) might be to get the deal done, but McAdam would go on to say "They'd have to put in much more than that, including a pretty good prospect to go with him."

      So what else do you think needs to be added to the deal for the Red Sox to acquire this young Ace?

      Matthew Lenz

      Red Sox, Juan Soto Meet

      By Matthew Lenz in Rumors,

      The Red Sox and Juan Soto met on Wednesday in what was described as a "productive" first meeting by Sean McAdam of MassLive.

      Representing the Red Sox was team president Sam Kennedy, Chief Baseball Operator Craig Breslow, and field manager Alex Cora. The meeting reportedly lasted three hours and served to simply introduce Soto to the team and organization. From McAdam's report, "The Red Sox laid out their plans for the future and highlighted the crop of soon-to-be-arriving top prospects while giving a detailed outline of ownership and Fenway Sports Group." Any potential talk about money and years was not a topic of conversation.

      McAdam goes on to state that Soto was "impressed" by the Red Sox presentation. The 26-year-old is set to meet with multiple teams including the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays.

      Soto is expected to receive a contract north of 10 years and $500 million. How high should the Red Sox go?

      Matthew Lenz

      Per Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Boston Red Sox have shown interested in shortstop Willy Adames.

      While Adames has said he is open to moving off of shortstop, I speculate that the Red Sox would likely keep him there and move Trevor Story to the Keystone.

      Adames, who has played for the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, will be entering his age 29 season in 2025 and coming off a campaign where he slashed .251/.331/.462 with 32 homeruns and 21 stolen bases. He also provides a plus glove at one of the most important positions on the field. One thing to consider for the Sox is how his batted ball profile fits in Fenway Park as his expected homerun output was more than 20% less than his actual output. 

      In their Free Agent predictions, MLBTR projected Adames to get a six year, $160MM deal.

      Are you willing to pay that for one of the best shortstops in the game?

      Matthew Lenz

      Red Sox President of Baseball Operations, Sam Kennedy, was recently quoted as saying the team could afford another to add another massive contract to their payroll stating "If that's what it takes, yeah, absolutely".

      The 2025 payroll is currently estimated to be just north of $130 million while they were sitting almost $100 million more than that in a disappointing 2024 season. While they already have $313 million dedicated to Rafael Devers, they've been tied to the biggest names on the Free Agent market, including Juan Soto, Willy Adames, Blake Snell, Max Friend, and Nathan Eovaldi. They've also had preliminary talks with the Chicago White Sox on a deal for Garrett Crochet and, if they were to acquire him, it would be understood that he would sign a spendy extension.

      Missing the playoffs in back-to-back-to-back seasons, Kennedy went on to say "there is an extreme urgency to compete for an AL East championship and make a deep playoff run in 2025." There is belief internally and externally that the Red Sox will be a force for most of the next decade with a strong core at the Major League level and one of the better farm systems in all of baseball. Signing a top end Free Agent or two, would only solidify that belief and set them up nicely to compete with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. Of course, you can't sleep on the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays in what may be the best division in baseball from top to bottom.

      In the words of Kennedy, "[it's] going to take shrewd investment in free agency, shrewd trades, and dedicated player development in the Major Leagues on down" if they plan on making good on their large 2025 and future goals.

      Matthew Lenz

      According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic the Red Sox met with Blake Snell recently ($$). This is now the frontline fourth starter that the Red Sox have been tied, which isn't surprising as it is the number one need for a team that looks to get back to the playoffs in 2025 for the first time in three seasons.

      Snell, who pitched in the spacious confines of Oracle Park for the San Francisco Giants in 2025, also met with the Los Angeles Dodgers this week. The 32-year-old lefty made 20 starts for the bay area team posting a 3.12 ERA / 2.43 FIP and a very good K-BB rate of 24.2% generating elite whiff and quality of contact metrics. Not only is there a clear need on the Red Sox roster, but  throughout his career he his adjusted home runs by park has produced 11 fewer home runs in Fenway Park as compared to the 115 that he has actually surrendered. Although injuries have been a concern, he has produced two Cy Young seasons in his healthiest campaigns (2018, 2023) where he exceeded 30 starts.

      Snell's arsenal features one of the best curveballs in the game that produced a 49.8 whiff rate, as well as an above average 96 mile-per-hour four seam fastball that held opposing hitters to a .200 batting average in 2024. He also has a very good change up and slider despite their below average movement profiles.

      Of all the pitchers the Red Sox have been tied to, which one would you like them to add the most?

      Matthew Lenz

      Jon Heyman of the New York Post ($$) writes that Bregman’s camp has fielded interest from the Red Sox, in addition to the Detroit Tigers and receiving a formal offer from the Houston Astros.

      While the Red Sox have a larger need to lockdown an Ace for their starting rotation, signing the 31-year-old wouldn't necessarily take them out of the race to add another big contract. President of Baseball Operations, Sam Kennedy, recently talked about their willingness to spend to compete for an AL East title and to make a deep playoff run.

      The fit with Bergman is an interesting one. Earlier in the offseason, he stated he would be willing to move off third so there is a possibility he could play at the keystone for the Red Sox. Another possibility is shifting Rafael Devers to 1st, a move that is likely to happen at some point anyway, and then keep the 2024 Gold Glove winner at the hot corner. The latter move would have more implications on the roster as it would push Casas off of first, possibly into a full-time designated hitter role, which then would impact Masataka Yoshida's role on the team. 

      Bregman posted a .768 OPS in 2024 with 26 home runs and a very good 13.6% strikeout rate. In their Free Agent Prediction article, MLBTR put Bregman at a 7 year, $182 million deal.

      Assuming it wouldn't impact spending elsewhere, would be in favor of bringing in Bregman for that much money?

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