Article: Who Could the Red Sox Look To Trade Away To Fortify the Roster?

[Alex Mayes]

The Red Sox currently sit in second place in the AL East, and a couple of major trade additions could make them World Series contenders. Who in the organization would have to be on the move to make a trade like that happen?

Since we’ve looked at potential trade targets as the season gets underway, I wanted to take a few minutes to consider who could be headed out in such trades later this season. We’re going to take a different approach to organizing these. This time, we’ll break players down into these categories, as it relates to the possibility they are actually traded: likely, possible, and highly unlikely.

Below, you’ll fix a mix of current major league contributors and minor league standouts who could be parts of larger, potential blockbuster trades. As of this writing, the Red Sox are firmly in contention and I’ll be approaching this exercise as if they are in the same position or better as the trade deadline approaches.

Likely To Be Traded:

• Triston Casas, 1B – If you’ve watched much of Netflix’s documentary series The Clubhouse¸ you’ve noticed that Casas is a major focal point of the series. His big personality attracts attention and he’s usually good for quotable phrases and a laugh or two. It seems, though, through watching reactions of his coaches and teammates, that his personality has worn a bit thin to those have daily interactions with him. From the eye-rolling to the snide comments after he walks away, it’s become pretty clear that he likely isn’t long for the Boston Red Sox. Casas seems to have turned a corner with some changes in his hitting approach, but Alex Cora still obviously doesn’t trust him against left-handed pitching. Even if Casas comes screaming back to life from now until the deadline, look for the front office to shop him as part of a trade package that lands the team another starting pitcher. Miami has long had interest in his services and they have an All-Star caliber starting pitcher still on the roster.
• Franklin Arias, SS – Despite his most recent promotion to High-A Greenville, Arias is listed here because he’s effectively blocked at every other level of the organization. There’s Mikey Romero (more on him in just a second) at Portland, Marcelo Mayer at Worcester, and Trevor Story at the big league level. Story isn’t going to hang around forever, but unless Arias rockets past Romero, there’s still no room on the big league club for someone who should command a decent return in a trade package. Arias has the makings of an impact player, but good organizations know when to capitalize on that momentum, and the Red Sox would be foolish to not cash in.
• Mikey Romero, SS/IF – In a follow up to Franklin Arias, the one person who could block him at Portland is the same person who could be traded to make room for him as he climbs the ladder. Romero is a fine athlete but is likely to find himself outplayed by a younger Arias who seems to be climbing the organizational ladder rather quickly. He’s a bat-first shortstop, something that typically doesn’t play super well in the majors unless you’re an All-Star caliber talent, which Romero likely isn’t. He isn’t the player you’d put as the centerpiece of a trade, but he’s a worthwhile piece that could be added to entice teams to include bigger stars.
• Yoeilin Cespedes, 2B – Much like the shortstop position, the Red Sox are filled with second basemen at every level of the organization. Kristian Campbell isn’t going anywhere on the big league roster, David Hamilton plays second better than he does shortstop, and even Connor Wong has shown the ability to play a passable second base in short stints. Don’t forget that the Red Sox traded for Vaughn Grissom to play second as well. Cespedes is young (he's only 19) and incredibly raw. Those intangibles will make some teams salivate as they look to fortify their minor league program with players who show potential to grow. Cespedes could move off of second base, but most other positions he could move to are blocked at the upper levels of the organization as well.
• Yophery Rodriguez, OF – The newest addition to the minor league system raised a few eyebrows when he came over as part of the trade that sent Quinn Priester to the Brewers. Rodriguez has played well since his arrival in Greenville, and the coaching staff believes that he has more tools to be unlocked. The reason he ranks on this part of the list is that the Red Sox are flush with outfield talent, to the point that people in positions ahead of Rodriguez will likely need to be moved at the deadline as well. He’s an athletic addition to the program, but it makes sense for him to be moved as a piece in a much larger package too.
• Vaughn Grissom, SS/2B/1B – Even though some pundits are calling for Grissom to replace Casas at the major league level, there seems to be no rush to bring him back to Boston. I’ve already written how Grissom likely needs a change of scenery to find himself again, but it looks like a move to first base may have started that process while he’s still in the system. That being said, he’s a prime trade piece simply because he hasn’t proven to be a major league contributor in Boston. He would do well to move to a different organization where the pressure of being traded for a Cy Young winner will be lifted off his shoulders.

Possible Trade Pieces

• Jarren Duran, OF – Yes, Duran has started heating up. His at-bats look much more like the ones from his All-Star 2024 campaign. He’s an offensive spark and his recent hot streak is why he’s been moved to the ‘possible’ category instead of the ‘likely’ category. I wrote here how Duran should be traded for an ace back in October. I then wrote here how, even though Duran and the Red Sox agreed to a two-year extension, something felt fishy about it. I stand by both of those statements and fully believe the plan is to trade Jarren Duran, though it'll likely happen next offseason instead of the trade deadline. Out of the outfielders who make the most sense to trade, Duran is the perfect combination of value and timing. He’s older than the young core the team is building around, and outside of Roman Anthony, there’s no outfielder in the organization who will command a larger return than Duran.
• Kutter Crawford, RHP – The Red Sox found themselves with a ton more pitching depth headed into the 2025 season. Crawford was an innings eater in 2024, totaling 183 2/3 innings pitched. He wasn’t stellar though, and the home run ball was his demise in the second half. He’s currently on the injured list and is likely a candidate to head to the bullpen when he returns this season. He’d likely have some appeal to teams that spend more time in a pitcher-friendly ballpark though.
• Jhostynxon Garcia, OF – Another fringe major league player that is blocked and will likely only get called up as other prospects also get called up. He’s the logical person to take Anthony’s position in Worcester when the club finally makes that phone call. That being said, he has trade value. He’s young and has shown to have legitimate power potential with regular playing time. He’s solid on defense and likely will only get better as he ages and grows with the game.
• Miguel Bleis, OF – A year younger than Garcia, Bleis is still sitting at High-A Greenville. He profiles as a fourth outfielder if he ever reaches the big leagues, but suffers from the same situation as Garcia in that he’s blocked at every level of the organization. The team will likely have to pick either Bleis or Garcia to hold onto at the deadline, as having both of them in the system seems redundant.
• Ceddanne Rafaela, OF – Although these names aren’t ranked, if they were, I’d have Rafaela still below Duran in chances of being traded. Rafaela isn’t the offensive star that Duran is, but his defense is more than enough to make up for his lack of steady production. He’s shown flashes of his offensive abilities recently, and has been working more walks on the young season, but he’s a potential Platinum Glove winner in the future. It would be pretty surprising to see the Red Sox trade him, although for the right return it’s possible.
• Masataka Yoshida, OF – As with pretty much everyone outside of the Red Sox front office, I have no idea what’s going on with Yoshida. He’s a contributor on any MLB team he plays for and if he was at least getting reps in Triple-A, then I would have put him in the likely to be traded category. Yoshida deserves to play major league baseball and it should be with a different organization than Boston.

Unlikely To Be Traded:

• Marcelo Mayer, SS – Mayer started his season at Triple-A Worcester a bit slow, especially after he seemed to explode in spring training, but he’s broken out in a big way during the last week and a half. He’s primed to take over for Trevor Story sooner than later and shouldn’t even be considered in a deal.
• Roman Anthony, OF – See above. Any deal for someone not named Paul Skenes should be laughed at.
• Kristian Campbell, 2B – The Red Sox believe that Campbell is their second baseman of the future, and for good reason. He’s a potential Rookie of the Year candidate and should be playing up the middle for years to come in Boston.
• Wilyer Abreu, OF – Had I written this before the season started, Abreu would have been in the ‘likely’ category as the odd man out in the outfield. I’m very glad to have been proven wrong, and he seems like a valuable piece of the future puzzle, even if he’s currently slumping.
• Connelly Early, LHP – Early is likely going to earn a promotion to Worcester sooner than later and has the potential of a back-end starter in the majors. He’s someone that the Red Sox should continue to work with and promote up as he showcases his talent. He could be pushing for a spot start in Boston by the end of the season.
• Hunter Dobbins, RHP – Dobbins has impressed in his two big league starts this season and looks to be the exact type of pitcher that will push for a full-time rotation spot during spring training in 2026. It’s telling the Sox haven’t pushed him to the bullpen, opting to keep him working as a starter in Worcester to give the team a ready-to-go pitcher when needed. He’s someone that can be molded into an impact starter as early as next season.

There’s a ton of positional overlap on this list and that’s because the Red Sox have talent at all levels of the organization. There are other names that will likely come up in trade discussions as well, but if the Red Sox prove to be in contention as the deadline draws near, expect them to be buyers in a big way. To make a giant splash in the trade market, you have to trade desirable pieces. A big market team like Boston shouldn’t be scared to make deals for superstars—they started that trend by bringing in Garrett Crochet. Expect them to ship more prospects, and even some big league contributors, out to fortify the major league club in a big way.

View full article

[jad]

Oh yeah.  Perfect. Identify the most exciting player on team (Duran), and get rid of him.  Worked great for Betts.

[smokedogg1982]

Abreyu will go long before Duran goes anywhere. I like Abreyu but he is hot and cold,doesn't play against left-handed pitchers and has a lot of value right now. 

[Bellhorn04]

39 minutes ago, smokedogg1982 said:

Abreyu will go long before Duran goes anywhere. I like Abreyu but he is hot and cold,doesn't play against left-handed pitchers and has a lot of value right now. 

Yes, all things considered, I think Abreu is still the most logical guy to trade, especially with Anthony knocking on the door.

[Malcolm White]

12 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yes, all things considered, I think Abreu is still the most logical guy to trade, especially with Anthony knocking on the door.

Love Abreu, but if Anthony can play RF (or CF I guess, since Rafaela sure could play right), he's the guy to go. Trading Casas for pennies on the dollar is Sweeney-level stupid.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, jad said:

Oh yeah.  Perfect. Identify the most exciting player on team (Duran), and get rid of him.  Worked great for Betts.

Duran is NOT Betts. Really tough comparison there. 

Betts left BOS after his year 26 season. 

Duran's year 26 season was '23. 

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, smokedogg1982 said:

Abreyu will go long before Duran goes anywhere. I like Abreyu but he is hot and cold,doesn't play against left-handed pitchers and has a lot of value right now. 

Are we sure Abreu's value is that high? Everyone around the league knows his faults. I think they could get some good prospects for him, but I don't think it would knock our socks off.

[mvp 78]

33 minutes ago, Malcolm White said:

Love Abreu, but if Anthony can play RF (or CF I guess, since Rafaela sure could play right), he's the guy to go. Trading Casas for pennies on the dollar is Sweeney-level stupid.

I don't think the Sox see him as a RFer. Right now, he's mostly playing LF in WOO. If they wanted to utilize his speed going forward, they'd plop him in RF, but I guess they think his best fit is LF. 

[jad]

41 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Duran is NOT Betts. Really tough comparison there. 

Betts left BOS after his year 26 season. 

Duran's year 26 season was '23. 

The issue is not whether Betts and Duran are the same person--I believe they are not, although I've never seen them photographed together.   The issue is who is the most exciting player (not the best player) on the team.  I realize reasonable people can disagree on this, and it's not an objective problem.  But I can't think of any RS player I would rather watch (Raphaela? Campbell?).  As a fan, if all I cared about was wins/losses, d%WAR#r5, and salary matters, I would just check the standings at the end of the season.  Why bother to watch the games?

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Duran is NOT Betts. Really tough comparison there. 

Betts left BOS after his year 26 season. 

Duran's year 26 season was '23. 

There's far more that differentiates betts from duran than just their age.

Smh......

[mvp 78]

28 minutes ago, jad said:

As a fan, if all I cared about was wins/losses

I may be alone on an island here, but my priority is wins and losses! 🤔

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

There's far more that differentiates betts from duran than just their age.

Smh......

One is an all time great player that you build a franchise around. One is an ok player that had a great season and is easily parted with.

[Maddie Landis]

Trade Wally for Gritty 

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, Maddie Landis said:

Trade Wally for Gritty 

I think you should call up Slugger from AA and get some good prospects for Wally. 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

Red Sox Trade Chips: 3 Likely to Go, 3 Too Valuable to Move

[mvp 78]

Players that could be traded this year (rule 5 eligibility issues): 

Bleis

Castro

Monegro

Mullins

Paez

Sandlin

[Alex Mayes]

1 hour ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

Red Sox Trade Chips: 3 Likely to Go, 3 Too Valuable to Move

I hadn't seen that when I wrote mine. Glad to see some similar thoughts somewhere else on the internet. Thanks for sharing!

[Alex Mayes]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

One is an all time great player that you build a franchise around. One is an ok player that had a great season and is easily parted with.

If Duran could play passable center field defense, I'd disagree with you and would never bring up trading him again. It looks like he can't though, so it makes the most sense to sell high and get as much value back as possible. 

[notin]

3 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yes, all things considered, I think Abreu is still the most logical guy to trade, especially with Anthony knocking on the door.

Duran will appeal to lots of teams since he’s still relatively cheap.  But Abreu is younger, cheaper and a better defender who’s under control longer.  I’m surprised Abreu wasn’t dealt over the winter…

[mvp 78]

14 minutes ago, Alex Mayes said:

If Duran could play passable center field defense, I'd disagree with you and would never bring up trading him again. It looks like he can't though, so it makes the most sense to sell high and get as much value back as possible. 

I think he still can play defense. They can part him because they already have a long term CFer on the roster (Rafaela). 

[Hugh2]

Something is going to give, I don't see Roman Anthony down in AAA come June. 

[moonslav59]

4 hours ago, Malcolm White said:

Love Abreu, but if Anthony can play RF (or CF I guess, since Rafaela sure could play right), he's the guy to go. Trading Casas for pennies on the dollar is Sweeney-level stupid.

Agreed. Casas is not bringing anything major back, so it's best to keep him and hope he comes around, even if just to rebuild his trade value for a winter deal.

I'm a big Abreu fan, myself, but he does seem like the most logical OF'er to be traded to make room for Anthony. Rafaela might be second, and we should not view his batting RH'd as being a plus.

[Alex Mayes]

21 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I think he still can play defense. They can part him because they already have a long term CFer on the roster (Rafaela). 

I'd much rather have Rafaela roaming center. He's a Platinum Glove candidate in my opinion.

[mvp 78]

13 minutes ago, Alex Mayes said:

I'd much rather have Rafaela roaming center. He's a Platinum Glove candidate in my opinion.

The last CFer to do it: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buxtoby01.shtml

Had a 5.0 bWAR season and it mostly came from defense (22 DRS, 28 OAA). 

People on here say that JBJ was the greatest CFer they've ever seen, but he never had metrics like that. I didn't watch enough 2017 Twins to compare. Kiermaier was always comparable if not better IMO. 

[mvp 78]

Kiermaier had 6.9 bWAR in '15? I don't think I've looked at his numbers in a while. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

7 minutes ago, Alex Mayes said:

I'd much rather have Rafaela roaming center. He's a Platinum Glove candidate in my opinion.

When considering if Rafaela could be a future cornerstone worthy of a longterm contract, the Red Sox most likely looked at Ceddanne's improvements in batting at High A, Double A and Triple A in '22 and '23.

During those summers we were told he already carried Gold Gloves in CF and SS. He always had extra-base pop, and hit a combined .299 with an .880 OPS in Greenville and Portland at age 21, then a combined .302 and .870 in Portland and Worcester at 22. 

Rafaela also had a consistent K to BB ratio of about 4 to 1. Who knew it would balloooooon to 10 to 1 in The Show?

Be encouraged. According to bb-reference, Ceddanne's Most Similar Batter through age 23 is borderline Ineligible Bachelor Steve Garvey... ya, that was before Garv was good -- but two years later he was NL MVP!

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Rafaela also had a consistent K to BB ratio of about 4 to 1. Who knew it would balloooooon to 10 to 1 in The Show?

I don't think many people projected him to get 0 BB's in his last 142 PA's of '24. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

I don't think many people projected him to get 0 BB's in his last 142 PA's of '24. 

Not even advance scouts: "Whatever you do, don't throw it over the plate... don't worry, he won't take four pitches -- until next Spring Training!"

[mvp 78]

13 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Not even advance scouts: "Whatever you do, don't throw it over the plate... don't worry, he won't take four pitches -- until next Spring Training!"

That team was just toast after the deadline. 

[jad]

6 hours ago, Alex Mayes said:

If Duran could play passable center field defense, I'd disagree with you and would never bring up trading him again. It looks like he can't though, so it makes the most sense to sell high and get as much value back as possible. 

Again, I'm not talking baseball value (i.e., your 59crWAR+a&^4 rating).  I 'm talking about who I like to watch play.  (I watch lots of sports and with the exception of  the RS, I don't relly care who wins--I watch great athletes because I like to see great athletes perform).  So I love watching Duran run the bases; I also like Campbell, Raphaela, and even poor David Hamilton.  (I was also a Piersall fan, although there were obviously MANY players who were better--[think what HE could have brought in a trade for some middle relievers]).  I also like to watch players develop over time, and I thus don't give a crap about their trade value--I want to watch players I 'know' (something that is getting increasingly difficult in ALL sports).