Article: Should The Red Sox Buy From These American League Sellers?

[Matthew Lenz]

Even though the MLB trade deadline is still a ways off, it's starting to get late early for some teams across Major League Baseball. With July 31 serving as the league-wide trade ultimatum, we are roughly a month away from the hot stove reaching it's inferno. However, there are a handful of teams who we can pretty confidently say are going to be sellers around the deadline. Who are they, what do they have to offer, and how could the Boston Red Sox benefit? Let's dive in.

Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are 12 games below .500 and 13 games out of a playoff spot. They acknowledged a multi-year rebuild over the offseason, so it shouldn't be surprising that they are sellers once again. Potential rentals include outfielders Michael A. Taylor and Austin Slater, as well as recently-acquired starter Aaron Civale. Otherwise, intriguing players who are controlled beyond 2025 include infielder Josh Rojas and outfielder Mike Tauchman. However, it’s more realistic that teams aggressively kick the tires on outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who has been the subject of trade speculation for a while now. Robert Jr. signed a pre arbitration extension that included $20 million team options for 2026 and 2027 that can be bought out for $2 million. Once a top prospect in baseball, the 28-year-old has had a hard time staying healthy throughout his career and has struggled at the plate over the last two seasons.

Given the Red Sox's glut of outfielders, it's possible both sides simply don't match up on a trade. However, given their existing rapport following the Garrett Crochet blockbuster, don't count out the Sox dealing with each other again.

Athletics

The Athletics have been in a free fall ever since they started their season 22-20. In their last 28 games, they have just four wins. While they are a young team with some exciting talent, they're obviously not ready yet and have a handful of rentals that teams could kick the tires on. Most notably are utility players Miguel Andujar and Luis Urias, who have both produced above average at the plate. Third baseman Gio Urshela is more than two years removed from his last productive season and has a mediocre glove at the hot corner, but could be an intriguing option to handle the short side of a platoon. On the mound, Jose Leclerc and T.J. McFarland are two potential reliever rentals, though Leclerc has been sidelined with a lat strain since April and McFarland has been plain bad. It seems likely that at least one of Andujar, Urias, or Urshela is traded ahead of the deadline, though, again, the Red Sox may not be the best fit here.

Baltimore Orioles
Injuries aside, it's still pretty shocking to see the Orioles struggling this much. After winning 91 games and earning a playoff berth in 2024, they are currently 13 games below .500 and 8.5 games out of a playoff spot. The difference here is that the Orioles are not in the midst of a rebuild, so it's likely they limit their moves to players on expiring deals. Those names include: pitchers Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Gregory Soto, as well as outfielder Cedric Mullins. Of those players, Eflin, Sugano, and Soro are having successful seasons on the mound and will draw significant trade interest. However, two names that have been the subject of trade rumors but are controllable beyond 2025 are first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and outfielder Heston Kjerstad. Mountcastle, who will miss the next 8-12 weeks with a hamstring strain, is having a down year with a .628 OPS and two home runs. Kjerstad, who was recently optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, has also struggled this season but has often found himself as the odd man out of a stacked group of young talent. An intra-divisional trade seems unlikely on the surface, but a first baseman of the future or a talented reliever could be in the cards if Boston and Baltimore put their differences aside.

Red Sox Needs
Whether the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers will really depend on how the next month pans out. At 34-36, they're well within striking distance of a wild card spot. In one sense, it's a miracle they're only two games below .500, considering the number of injuries they've been dealing with on both sides of the ball. It's those very injuries and the sense of hope that as those players return, that may convince the Red Sox to be buyers. In recent weeks, rumors started swirling that the Red Sox would be open to dealing Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu. Perhaps they are looking to flip some offense for pitching, especially in the rotation. Currently, the Red Sox's starting rotation is in the bottom half of the league by many metrics. Something needs to be done to give Crochet a true running mate.

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Do you think the Red Sox should buy-in at the deadline, sell or stand pat? Join the conversation in the comments!

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[TedYazPapiMookie]

The Red Sox need to tweak their line-up so both buying and selling will be involved.

Needs include:

1 Pitching - both a SP and relievers

2 Salary dumping - Yoshida needs to be moved by being coupled with Abreu who is the odd man out in the outfield

3 A Breslow chosen manager (not Cora) who brings his own coaching staff

4 Reshuffling of the roster so the future players are on the MLB roster and the AAA guys are back in AAA like Hamilton

What can Yoshida and Abreu bring to Boston?  $18 Million a year and a prospect, preferably a pitching prospect.  Who might need Abreu and be willing to eat Yoshida's money because they are more likely to use him than Boston?  

That's the million-dollar question.  Let's see what Breslow can do!!

[moonslav59]

I'm not so sure Abreu is the odd man out.

He is easily a better defender than Duran and with the great need for plus defense in Fenway's RF, it's not something to minimize. +1 Abreu.

Duran has 3 more years of arbs. Abreu has one more pre-arb season then 3 arb years. +1 year has real value. +1 Abreu

Duran turns 29 soon. Abreu turns 26 soon.  Depending on what you view "prime years" are, it looks like Abreu might have 2-4 more prime years than Duran. (maybe add another +1 to Abreu)

Both Duran and Abreu struggle vs LHPs, but Abreu does by a significant amount. +1 to Duran.

Duran's baserunning adds a big plus. Maybe +1.5.

Abreu hits RHPs better, and we face them about 65-70% of the time. +1 Abreu

When you bring Rafaela into the conversation, he has more years of control and is our best defensive OF'er in a difficult CF at Fenway. His bat is highly questionable, but he does hit LHPs slightly better than Duran and significantly better than Abreu. His bat vs RHPs is way worse.

Anthony would bring the most back in trade, but we will not be trading him, IMO.

I'd put the trade order as such:

1. Duran

2. Abreu slightly ahead of Rafaela. (I'm okay w Duran in CF, Anthony in LF and Abreu-Ref in RF with Jh Garcia to be our OF depth, after Ref retires.)

[Larry Cook]

Let’s discuss what we have to offer!
 

First:  The easiest pieces for bres-slow to move are players on expiring contracts! We have five players (Chapman, Wilson, giolita, buehler and refsynder) that fit that criteria and should be easy to move! &nbsp
 

Second: Quality relatively cheap players with years of control! Duran, abreau, cassas, Wong, rafeala, Whitlock, and Hamilton! 
 

Third:  quality prospects. We got tons of them!!! 
 

let’s discuss what we want: 

1.) quality starting pitching with years of control! A few names come to mind, skenes, alcantarra, and woo, but there are several others as well!!!!!  
 

2.) quality reliever that can handle high leverage situations! 
 

To acquire a quality starter and reliever, bres-slow will have to overpay! The more years of control, the more the overpay will be!!! 
 

I would love to trade for alcanterra at the trade deadline, if Bailey can fix him!  
 

this offseason, we should go all in on skenes, only Mayer, narveaz and Anthony are off limits 

[Maxbialystock]

2 hours ago, TedYazPapiMookie said:

The Red Sox need to tweak their line-up so both buying and selling will be involved.

Needs include:

1 Pitching - both a SP and relievers

2 Salary dumping - Yoshida needs to be moved by being coupled with Abreu who is the odd man out in the outfield

3 A Breslow chosen manager (not Cora) who brings his own coaching staff

4 Reshuffling of the roster so the future players are on the MLB roster and the AAA guys are back in AAA like Hamilton

What can Yoshida and Abreu bring to Boston?  $18 Million a year and a prospect, preferably a pitching prospect.  Who might need Abreu and be willing to eat Yoshida's money because they are more likely to use him than Boston?  

That's the million-dollar question.  Let's see what Breslow can do!!

I'll just bet you were delighted when JH didn't renew Francona's contract after the 2011 season.  For 2012 they brought in a monster--no doubt picked by that CBO--who lasted one season.  The very next season Farrell managed the Sox to their 3d WS win in the JH era--but JH fired him after the 2017 season even though the Sox went to the postseason in 2016 and 2017.  

Cora has stayed--missing the 2020 nonseason--because he's good.  Forget 2018 and look at the amazing job he did with the 2021 Sox, especially in the postseason when as a wild card they made it to the ALCS without a closer and with a team ERA ranked 15th in MLB.  JH has stuck with Cora because JH knows he's good and because JH knew that the team wasn't getting the full support of management, specifically with regard to signing good pitchers.  Sale and Price poisoned that well.  

Like everyone else, I love having three rookies on the active roster.  They represent the future.  

However, unlike you, I'm not ready to kiss this season goodbye and let Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony start every game as you no doubt want them to do.  In fact, I like the way Cora has given them opportunities--largely because Bregman and then Abreu went on the IL--while at the same time managing to win games.  Mayer has missed some starts, and so has Anthony.  How well has Cora managed?   After Bregman's last game the Sox were 26-26, the Sox plummeted to 30-35, but now they are 1 game above .500 despite playing the Rays and Yankees over the last 9 games.  

I'm guessing you hate this resurgence because you want the Sox to collapse and Cora to be fired.  

And I feel the exact opposite.  I've rooted like crazy for the Sox since 1949, and that included 55 seasons of the 86 year drought.  In too many seasons the Sox had what we called the "June swoon." 

We are now in the John Henry era, by far the best in Sox history.  We no more need to fire Cora than we did Francona after the 2011 season (when his contract ran out).  

I'm all for getting good pitching.  You can never have enough.  I won't mind trading one of our outfielders when Abreu returns (June 20) and we have 5:  Abreu, Anthony, Rafaela, Ref, and Duran.  I would love for another team to take over Yoshida's contract, but seriously doubt that will happen.  Right now he simply is not needed on this team because Devers is a far better DH.  

I of course think Breslow is better than Bloom, but let's not forget that JH has loosened up the purse strings as he refused to do for CB.  No way, no how would JH have allowed a Crochet to get the contract he now has.  Ditto Bregman's $40M. 

Also, as I keep reminding everyone (ad nauseum), Breslow dumped Sale and replaced him with Giolito.  We make the postseason last year if Breslow had simply kept Sale and ignored Giolito.   Breslow also bypassed his manager to tell Devers he should place 1b.  Dumb!  Replacing Casas has been painless because he was having a lousy season and both Toro and Gonzalez are much better.  Nevertheless, because this is Breslow's first shot at CBO, he should get some leeway.  

 

 

 

[Larry Cook]

12 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

I'll just bet you were delighted when JH didn't renew Francona's contract after the 2011 season.  For 2012 they brought in a monster--no doubt picked by that CBO--who lasted one season.  The very next season Farrell managed the Sox to their 3d WS win in the JH era--but JH fired him after the 2017 season even though the Sox went to the postseason in 2016 and 2017.  

Cora has stayed--missing the 2020 nonseason--because he's good.  Forget 2018 and look at the amazing job he did with the 2021 Sox, especially in the postseason when as a wild card they made it to the ALCS without a closer and with a team ERA ranked 15th in MLB.  JH has stuck with Cora because JH knows he's good and because JH knew that the team wasn't getting the full support of management, specifically with regard to signing good pitchers.  Sale and Price poisoned that well.  

Like everyone else, I love having three rookies on the active roster.  They represent the future.  

However, unlike you, I'm not ready to kiss this season goodbye and let Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony start every game as you no doubt want them to do.  In fact, I like the way Cora has given them opportunities--largely because Bregman and then Abreu went on the IL--while at the same time managing to win games.  Mayer has missed some starts, and so has Anthony.  How well has Cora managed?   After Bregman's last game the Sox were 26-26, the Sox plummeted to 30-35, but now they are 1 game above .500 despite playing the Rays and Yankees over the last 9 games.  

I'm guessing you hate this resurgence because you want the Sox to collapse and Cora to be fired.  

And I feel the exact opposite.  I've rooted like crazy for the Sox since 1949, and that included 55 seasons of the 86 year drought.  In too many seasons the Sox had what we called the "June swoon." 

We are now in the John Henry era, by far the best in Sox history.  We no more need to fire Cora than we did Francona after the 2011 season (when his contract ran out).  

I'm all for getting good pitching.  You can never have enough.  I won't mind trading one of our outfielders when Abreu returns (June 20) and we have 5:  Abreu, Anthony, Rafaela, Ref, and Duran.  I would love for another team to take over Yoshida's contract, but seriously doubt that will happen.  Right now he simply is not needed on this team because Devers is a far better DH.  

I of course think Breslow is better than Bloom, but let's not forget that JH has loosened up the purse strings as he refused to do for CB.  No way, no how would JH have allowed a Crochet to get the contract he now has.  Ditto Bregman's $40M. 

Also, as I keep reminding everyone (ad nauseum), Breslow dumped Sale and replaced him with Giolito.  We make the postseason last year if Breslow had simply kept Sale and ignored Giolito.   Breslow also bypassed his manager to tell Devers he should place 1b.  Dumb!  Replacing Casas has been painless because he was having a lousy season and both Toro and Gonzalez are much better.  Nevertheless, because this is Breslow's first shot at CBO, he should get some leeway.  

 

 

 

I think narveaz counts as a rookie!!  

[Malcolm White]

39 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

I'll just bet you were delighted when JH didn't renew Francona's contract after the 2011 season.  For 2012 they brought in a monster--no doubt picked by that CBO--who lasted one season.  The very next season Farrell managed the Sox to their 3d WS win in the JH era--but JH fired him after the 2017 season even though the Sox went to the postseason in 2016 and 2017.  

Cora has stayed--missing the 2020 nonseason--because he's good.  Forget 2018 and look at the amazing job he did with the 2021 Sox, especially in the postseason when as a wild card they made it to the ALCS without a closer and with a team ERA ranked 15th in MLB.  JH has stuck with Cora because JH knows he's good and because JH knew that the team wasn't getting the full support of management, specifically with regard to signing good pitchers.  Sale and Price poisoned that well.  

Like everyone else, I love having three rookies on the active roster.  They represent the future.  

However, unlike you, I'm not ready to kiss this season goodbye and let Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony start every game as you no doubt want them to do.  In fact, I like the way Cora has given them opportunities--largely because Bregman and then Abreu went on the IL--while at the same time managing to win games.  Mayer has missed some starts, and so has Anthony.  How well has Cora managed?   After Bregman's last game the Sox were 26-26, the Sox plummeted to 30-35, but now they are 1 game above .500 despite playing the Rays and Yankees over the last 9 games.  

I'm guessing you hate this resurgence because you want the Sox to collapse and Cora to be fired.  

And I feel the exact opposite.  I've rooted like crazy for the Sox since 1949, and that included 55 seasons of the 86 year drought.  In too many seasons the Sox had what we called the "June swoon." 

We are now in the John Henry era, by far the best in Sox history.  We no more need to fire Cora than we did Francona after the 2011 season (when his contract ran out).  

I'm all for getting good pitching.  You can never have enough.  I won't mind trading one of our outfielders when Abreu returns (June 20) and we have 5:  Abreu, Anthony, Rafaela, Ref, and Duran.  I would love for another team to take over Yoshida's contract, but seriously doubt that will happen.  Right now he simply is not needed on this team because Devers is a far better DH.  

I of course think Breslow is better than Bloom, but let's not forget that JH has loosened up the purse strings as he refused to do for CB.  No way, no how would JH have allowed a Crochet to get the contract he now has.  Ditto Bregman's $40M. 

Also, as I keep reminding everyone (ad nauseum), Breslow dumped Sale and replaced him with Giolito.  We make the postseason last year if Breslow had simply kept Sale and ignored Giolito.   Breslow also bypassed his manager to tell Devers he should place 1b.  Dumb!  Replacing Casas has been painless because he was having a lousy season and both Toro and Gonzalez are much better.  Nevertheless, because this is Breslow's first shot at CBO, he should get some leeway.  

 

 

 

 

26 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

I think narveaz counts as a rookie!!  

 

[Larry Cook]

Robert Murray says we are trading Devers to San Fran! Is this guy legit ????

[TedYazPapiMookie]

On 6/15/2025 at 5:36 PM, Larry Cook said:

I think narveaz counts as a rookie!!  

Your history of supporting the Red Sox is admirable and a bit longer than mine.  My distaste for Cora is about the cheating.  He disrespected the game in my eyes and I'm one of three generations of baseball players in my family.  His cheating is unforgivable for me.  You clearly forgive him.  That will NEVER happen for me.  The greatest day in Boston's future will be the day he is fired.  

I root for all the players to be successful.  I root especially hard for those that have been screwed by Cora's bad decisions and prejudice.  Without Devers, Cora will get a pass even if Breslow provides lots more talent.  As of now, I still root for the success of guys like Duran, Rafaela and Campbell.  I think Crochets is a huge asset that would have been a great addition to Sale.  But Sale couldn't play for Cora just like Price and it appears Buehler is in the same boat so subtract the manager and add back Sale and Boston could have had an elite rotation.  Now we need to see what Breslow can do to improve the rotation for 2026.  The prospects are not going to provide championship play in 2025 so playing all of them in 2025 will speed the process forward as fast as possible.  They will all develop in their own time and Boston will be stacked when that happens, but they will be devoid of quality management and integrity thanks to Cora.  That's why he needs to go.