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  • Boston Red Sox Trade & Free Agent Rumors

    Follow the latest Boston Red Sox trade and free agent rumors, along with quick notes on the big league club, the minor leagues and the draft.
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    Alex Mayes
    The Boston Red Sox are calling up their number two ranked prospect, LHP Payton Tolle, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Tolle has been on an insane rise through Boston’s system after being taken in the second round of the 2024 draft out of TCU. Tolle made three starts for Triple-A Worcester before his call up.
    Tolle’s first taste of WooSox action was less than desirable, but he has rebounded and shown enough that the Red Sox feel comfortable lining him up to start opposite Pirates’ phenom Paul Skenes on Friday at Fenway Park. The organization is showing a ton of confidence in the young hurler and he looks to slot in behind Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito as the fourth arm on the starter depth chart.
    Should Tolle dominate at the major league level the way he has at every level of the minors, then the Red Sox have added another long-term keeper to their starting rotation. That should help them to kickstart their championship window, possibly as soon as this year.
    Jordan Leandre
    Following their dramatic comeback victory against the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox got right to work returning their roster to full strength.
    According to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox expect to activate both right-handed reliever Justin Slaten and outfielder Rob Refsnyder ahead of Thursday's series finale.
    Slaten, who last pitched on May 28 against the Milwaukee Brewers, had been placed on the injured list with a shoulder issue that turned into a nerve problem: a transverse process.
    "It's a little bony thing that comes out of your cervical spine," Slaten told the media earlier this month. "Essentially, that bone in my neck was kind of pushing on nerves, pushing on blood vessels, causing a lot of shoulder soreness specifically..."
    Before hitting the shelf, Slaten had a 3.47 ERA and a 3.22 FIP, along with three saves and four holds, across 23 1/3 innings pitched. After consecutive bad outings to start May, the 27-year-old threw 10 straight scoreless outings, allowing just five baserunners across 11 innings.
    To make room for Slaten, the Red Sox are expected to send down left-handed reliever Jovani Morán. The southpaw was called up to replace the recently injured Richard Fitts, but didn't figure into either game he was on the roster for.
    As for Refsnyder, he's been on the injured list since Aug. 23 with an oblique injury. The 34-year-old was 2-for-his-last-10 before going on the IL, but has a .905 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025.
    Even though he hadn't produced much in his most recent small sample, the absence of Refsnyder was noticeable in Boston's recent stretch of games, as they scored just three runs combined in the two games started by lefties in the Bronx -- going 1-1 in those games. 
    The corresponding move for Refsnyder is the placement of first baseman Nathaniel Lowe on the paternity list. Lowe went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 3-2 win, but still has a .296/.375/.481 slash line with seven runs batted in across nine games with Boston.
    Jordan Leandre
    According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Boston Red Sox expect to place right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts on the injured list. 
    Fitts exited Monday's piggyback outing after four-plus innings and could be seen glancing at his arm and gesturing toward it when visited by manager Alex Cora and a trainer.
    The team announced shortly thereafter that Fitts was removed due to right biceps tightness, which seemed like the best-case scenario considering what it looked like in real time. Fitts even said postgame that he was feeling pretty good about the status of his arm despite it feeling worse after delivering his first pitch to Baltimore Orioles infielder Coby Mayo.
    This is the second time in 2025 that Fitts exited an outing due to a right arm/pectoral issue; the first time came in April during a start against the Chicago White Sox.
    The corresponding move, per Cotillo, will be the recalling of left-handed reliever Jovani Moran from Triple-A Worcester.
    The 28-year-old made two appearances for the Red Sox earlier this month, allowing three earned runs whilst striking out five across four innings of work. Moran, who last pitched for Worcester on Aug. 23, figures to join a bullpen that, despite now having five lefty relievers, might need him right away given the recent usage of Brennan Bernardino and Steven Matz.
    Jordan Leandre
    Among a series of Thursday roster moves, the Boston Red Sox promoted outfielder prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to the majors, according to Tommy Cassell of Worcester T&G Sports.
    Garcia played 66 games for Triple-A Worcester, slashing .303/.367/.564 with 17 home runs and a 140 wRC+. In recent weeks, the No. 5 prospect on Sox Prospects started getting reps at first base and even started a game there. 
    The 22-year-old possesses a unique profile as a batter, as he's sort of the antithesis of the Red Sox organization's desired player. He swings a lot out of the zone yet takes a lot of pitches in the zone -- both under the 40th percentile. However, the pitches he does swing at he does serious damage. He ranks in the 86th percentile with a .353 expected weighted on-base average and 90th percentile for barrel rate. 
    He also is in the 81st percentile for pull-air rate, which bodes very well for a right-handed hitter at Fenway Park.
    On the downside, the corresponding move to Garcia's call-up is that outfielder Wilyer Abreu will go on the injured list. Abreu left Sunday's game against the Miami Marlins with calf tightness and was unavailable, despite still being rostered, in the Red Sox two-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. 
    This injury comes at a very bad time for Abreu, who hits the shelf for the second time this season. The Gold Glove right fielder was off to a tremendous start to August, showing signs of rebounding after slashing .222/.300/.460 with a 106 wRC+ in July.
    Jordan Leandre
    The Boston Red Sox designated infielder Abraham Toro for assignment Thursday, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.
    Across 77 games and 284 plate appearances, the switch-hitter slashed .239/.289/.371 with seven home runs and 27 runs batted in. His fWAR came in at -0.7.
    It wasn't all bad for Toro, who entered play on June 13 hitting .330 with a 151 wRC+ and five home runs. However, he hit the wall hard, particularly from a power standpoint, slugging just .255 with two home runs in his final 185 plate appearances. He struggled particularly since the trade deadline passed, where the Red Sox didn't acquire a first baseman, hitting just .131 with a -1 wRC+ in 53 plate appearances.
    His fWAR during that span was -0.7, tied with Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos for last among 188 qualified hitters.
    The corresponding move returns middle infielder David Hamilton to Boston ahead of their four-game weekend series with the New York Yankees.
    Hamilton has struggled between inconsistent playing time and results, posting a .174/.227/.265 slash line with a 32 wRC+ in 69 games in MLB this season. However, his defense at second base remains great, where he's tied for fifth with seven defensive runs saved despite being 37th in innings. 
    His speed and baserunning is also super valuable, as he's top-60 in Base Runs (BsR) and in the 93rd percentile for sprint speed.
    In nine games with Triple-A Worcester, Hamilton hit .282 with two home runs and six stolen bases. Perhaps with uncertainty surrounding the availability of outfielder Wilyer Abreu, the Red Sox are preparing for more Ceddanne Rafaela in center field, thus opening an opportunity up for Hamilton to play second base, despite his skillset overlapping a lot with fellow speedster Nate Eaton.
    Matthew Lenz
    The Boston Red Sox will need to shuffle their active roster after signing first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Additionally, one more spot will need to be created for Nate Eaton.
    Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster is reporting that the Boston Red Sox plan to activate Nate Eaton ahead of Monday nights game. In all, there will need to be two corresponding moves before either player is officially added to the active roster.
    3:19 update: Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive is reporting that Rob Refsnyder has been moved to the 10-day IL with an oblique strain and Ali Sanchez has been designated for assignment to make room for Eaton and Lowe.
    Eaton has played in 14 major league games this season, where he holds a .250/.296/.333 slash line amount to a wOBA of .276 and a wRC+ of 70.
    Eaton has spent the majority of the season with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, appearing in 53 games and hitting .277/.364/.439. While his productivity leaves you wanting more, his positional versatility will be a welcomed addition to the Red Sox depth.
    How much of an impact will Eaton have on the club? Join the conversation in the comments!
    Alex Mayes
    Marcelo Mayer is set to miss the remainder of the 2025 season, as he will be having surgery on the wrist that landed him on the injured list in late July. Alex Cora noted that the injury requires a three-month recovery, so Mayer will be ready for spring training in 2026. 
    Mac Cerullo went on to note that this injury is the same injury Mayer suffered in 2022, but that this most recent injury is worse. Mayer hoped that a shot that he received would help get him through the season, but he said he knew surgery was always likely. 
    Marcelo Mayer was called up as Alex Bregman’s replacement after Bregman was placed on the injured list earlier in the season. The rookie performed well defensively for the team while leaving a bit to be desired offensively. After his recovery, Mayer should hit the ground running and be in contention for a spot on the 2026 Opening Day roster. 
    Matthew Lenz
    After a relatively disappointing trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Yet, they're still looking to solidify their bullpen and made moves on Monday to do just that.
    Chris Cotillo of MassLive is reporting that the Boston Red Sox have DFA'd Nick Burdi and selected Jovani Moran to join the big-league club.
    Burdi had previously been on the injured list since June 3 with a bruised foot and was later transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 9 after a setback with a hip injury. He had been activated from the injured list on August 2 and optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Before the injury, Burdi had pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Red Sox in the major leagues this season, with a 0.00 ERA and a 2.36 FIP.
    Moran, acquired from the Minnesota Twins for Mickey Gasper in the offseason, missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November 2023. He has been pitching for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, and in 12 appearances has a 3.44 ERA with 26 strikeouts and three walks in 18 1/3 innings.
    What role do you think Jovani Moran slips into in the Red Sox bullpen? Join the conversation in the comments!

    Nick John
    The Boston Red Sox stayed busy Sunday afternoon after sweeping the Houston Astros as they promoted their top pitching prospect Payton Tolle to Triple-A Worcester per Beyond The Monster’s Andrew Parker.
    Tolle is Boston’s top pitching prospect and has pitched for both Greenville and Portland. Now he will face the highest level of minor league baseball with the possibility of being added to Boston’s roster at some point in September.
    In six games since his promotion to Portland, Tolle made five starts and pitched out of the pen in a piggyback role once. He tossed 27 innings and had a 1.67 ERA to go along with 37 strikeouts to just seven walks
    Drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Tolle throws four pitches: a fastball, cutter, slider and changeup. He is also currently ranked 49th on Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list.
    Do you think it’s too early for Tolle to be promoted? Should he have just been promoted alongside fellow pitchers David Sandlin and Connelly Early last week? Could he make it to Boston before the end of the year? Leave your thoughts down below in the comments.
    Alex Mayes
    According to Matthew Crory on X, Marcelo Mayer’s sprained wrist is more serious than originally thought. He received an anti-inflammation injection in the wrist on Saturday, August 2 that will take up to three days to see if it works according to Alex Cora. He said that after those three days Mayer will start doing baseball activities and the team will see how he responds to those. 
    Bob Nightengale of USA Today went a step further, saying that season-ending surgery is on the table for Mayer. Obviously, this is the worst case scenario as the Red Sox currently are in sole possession of the second AL Wild Card spot and only four games behind the AL East leading Toronto Blue Jays. Something to note is that Mayer sprained this same wrist in 2022. He didn’t require surgery at the time. 
    We’ll have to keep an eye on the next few days for Mayer and see how he responds to the anti-inflammation injection as the Red Sox hope that he can be a contributor later this season.
    Brandon Glick
    Nothing in baseball is guaranteed.
    Tanner Houck, fresh off a brilliant 2024 campaign where he earned his first All-Star nod and pitched to a 3.12 ERA in 178 2/3 innings, was supposed to be the No. 2 to Garrett Crochet this season.
    Instead, he was miserable in limited action, surrendering a hideous 8.04 ERA in 43 2/3 innings. He was originally placed on the injured list back on May 12 with a strained forearm flexor, and numerous setbacks have kept him from appearing in Boston since.
    Now, according to Chris Cotillo, Houck will undergo Tommy John surgery in short order. The procedure and subsequent recovery will likely keep him out through the end of the 2026 season.
    Houck, 29, is due to be a free agent after the 2027 season. Given his troubling injury diagnosis and the exceedingly-high likelihood of a league-wide lockout in 2027, it's possible we've seen the last of Houck in a Red Sox uniform.
    Nick John
    The Red Sox continued their post-deadline trend of promoting prospects, as outfielder Miguel Bleis is on his way to Portland per Beyond The Monster’s Andrew Parker.
    Bleis, who is 21 years old, signed as an international free agent in January of 2021 and received the largest bonus that year. His potential was viewed so highly that, entering 2023, he was a Top-100 prospect on several prospect lists despite only playing in the Florida Complex League. Since signing, he has dealt with several injuries that cost him time in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. but the potential he showcases at times helps to explain what the Red Sox and scouts saw in him back in 2021.
    Bleis is currently ranked 12th on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Red Sox prospects (19th on TalkSox) and will look to showcase his potential in Portland while aiming to play in a career high number of games.
    So far in 77 games, Bleis is hitting .226/.314/.422 with 15 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. The outfielder is incredibly talented yet very inconsistent. He will be Rule 5 Draft eligible this offseason, and so his time in Portland could also serve as a showcase for teams who might be interested in his skills.
    Nick John
    Following the trade deadline, the Red Sox are promoting one of their top prospects to Worcester. As reported by Beyond the Monster’s Andrew Parker, the Red Sox are promoting infielder Mikey Romero to Triple-A Worcester.
    Romero, a former first-round draft pick, is likely being promoted to fill the roster spot left by traded corner infielder Blaze Jordan. Romero, who was initially drafted as a shortstop has seen his time in the field split between third base, second base and shortstop. He has also spent time as the designated hitter.
    Known for his offensive potential, Romero appeared in 65 games for Portland, where he hit .250/.313/.436 with 17 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, and 39 RBIs. What may be most impressive for Romero is the fact that he’s on pace to play in the most games of his professional career, beating the 78 games played last season.
    Romero will likely see the majority of his playing time come at third base and shortstop as the team sees how he can handle the increased level of play.
    Nick John
    The trade deadline is now 26 hours away, and the Red Sox are attempting to upgrade their roster. Their biggest need appears to be starting pitching, as the team has been linked to starters Mitch Keller and Dylan Cease.
    Now, Rob Bradford of WEEI reports that the Red Sox have shown interest in pitchers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
    Along with that, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR reports that the Red Sox have been monitoring Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins.
    All three starters are likely to be moved before the deadline and have the potential to upgrade the Red Sox rotation based on past pedigree.
    What do you think? Should the Red Sox pursue any of these three? Is there a different starter they should go after? Leave your thoughts in the comments down below.
    Matthew Lenz
    The Boston Red Sox front office is going to be especially busy this week as we approach the 48-hour mark to the trade deadline. Over the last week or so, they've been tied to nearly every name on the market as they look to bolster their rotation, bullpen, first base, and catching depth.
    Jim Bowden is reporting that the Red Sox "are speed dialing the [Minnesota] Twins at an annoying level with continued interest" in multiple players. He also mentions four other teams, including two AL East rivals.
    The headliner would be starter Joe Ryan, who is having a Cy Young caliber season to this point, sporting a 2.82 ERA (3.17 FIP) and a 23.8% strikeout-minus-walk (K-BB) rate. He is controllable through 2027. However, he's not the only high-end asset the Twins have to offer, and the Blue Jays are interested in.
    They're also calling on "basically the whole bullpen", which focuses on Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and possibly even Danny Coulombe. All three have been elite producers for the Twins this season, and Duran and Jax are controllable through 2027. Coulombe, a lefty specialist, will be a free agent at season's end.
    Lastly, Bowden reports that they're also calling on outfielder Harrison Bader and super-utility Willi Castro. Both players have been plus contributors for the Twins. Bader is carrying a .776 OPS with 12 home runs and 10 stolen bases. He also provides a plus glove in the outfield. Castro, who is less strong defensively but much more versatile, has a .761 OPS with 10 home runs and nine stolen bases. Both players will be free agents at the end of the season.
    The Red Sox have been tied to MANY names recently. Who should they prioritize? Join the conversation in the comments.
    Nick John
    The Boston Red Sox made a few promotions Sunday night as pitchers Connelly Early and David Sandlin are being promoted to Triple-A Worcester per Beyond The Monster’s Andrew Parker.
    The duo is seen as two of Boston’s top pitching prospects, with Early being ranked as the Sox’s sixth-best prospect and Sandlin the 12th on MLB Pipeline. Both starters opened the season with Double-A Portland, and it was viewed as a matter of time until they were called up to Worcester.
    Early, drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, has made incredible strides this season after ending 2024 with Portland. In 15 games this season, 12 starts, Early has gone 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 71 2/3 innings. In that span, he struck out 96 batters and only walked 29 for a strikeout per walk rate of 3.31. So far this season, Early has a strikeout rate of 32.3% and a walk rate of 9.8%, while limiting opposing hitters to a .198 batting average.
    Sandlin was acquired by the Kansas City Royals in February 2024, just as spring training was beginning for John Schreiber. Much like Early, Sandlin has also shown great improvement this season as he’s managed to go deeper into outings and limit his walks. In 17 games this season, 13 starts, Sandlin has gone 5-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 82 1/3 innings pitched (a career high). He’s also struck out 86 batters while walking just 27. While his strikeout rate is down this season, Sandlin has instead focused on allowing batters to put the ball in play when a strikeout isn’t necessary. His strikeout rate has dropped to 25.4% from 33.2% last season, and his walk rate is 8.0%. Opponents are also hitting just .226 against the right-hander while his FIP is at a career low of 3.29.
    The two will likely continue to pitch in both the rotation and as long men out of the bullpen through the remainder of the season. If they continue to impress in Worcester, there’s a chance one or both could be called up to Boston as reinforcements.
    What do you think about the promotions? Too soon? Should they have been earlier in the season? Do either of them make it to Boston this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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