Red Sox Roundup, Nov 5: Anthony's Injury Struggles, 2027 Free Agents, Abreu's Trade Value

Talk Sox · Thursday at 01:39 PM

Here is some of the latest Red Sox analysis from around the internet. The pieces cover Roman Anthony's potential, free agent targets like Arozarena and Suzuki, roster challenges with Abreu and Rafaela, Caleb Durbin's viability, the Brewers' bullpen blueprint, and Antonio Anderson's prospect surge.

Even after injury-marred season, Roman Anthony still looks like a star (MLB.com). Notes that Roman Anthony, despite a season marred by injuries, still showed elite plate discipline, strong contact quality, and valuable defense, with a 12.0% walk rate and 92.0 mph average exit velocity in 2026.
Which free agents could help Red Sox take next step? Here are 5 potential fits (MLB.com). Notes five free agents who could help the Red Sox take the next step, including Arozarena, who hit .865 OPS in 2026 and had 25 HR/25 SB season, and Suzuki, who hit 32 HR in 2025, and Gray, who posted a 2.72 ERA for the Red Sox in 2026.
Red Sox fans unfortunately must confront Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela offseason reality (BoSox Injection). Notes that the 2026 Red Sox ranked 26th in homers (163) and 23rd in runs (689), arguing that trading Wilyer Abreu or Ceddanne Rafaela for a 35-40 home run slugger is unlikely due to scarcity, with only 11 such players in 2026 and few willing to deal.
Red Sox Roster Problem or Solution: Caleb Durbin (Over the Monster). Argues that Caleb Durbin's inconsistent 2026 performance raises questions about his viability as a full-time third baseman, noting his OPS+ of 101 over two seasons and his contract through 2031, while considering potential alternatives like international free agents Si-Hwan Roh and Teruaki Sato.
Does the Brewers bullpen provide a blueprint for the Red Sox? (Over the Monster). Argues that the Brewers' postseason success was driven by their dominant bullpen, which held opponents to a .173 batting average and 33% strikeout rate, and suggests the Red Sox could follow a similar blueprint using their own relievers, noting the Red Sox had the best bullpen ERA in baseball during their 32-5 stretch in 2026.
Red Sox prospect can expect jump in rankings after surge ends with AFL honors (BoSox Injection). Notes that Antonio Anderson, a 2023 third-round Red Sox pick, improved from a .186 average in 2024 to a .273/.373/.453 line in 2025, then hit .361/.500/.623 in the Arizona Fall League, earning Fall Stars honors.

Behindenemylines · Thursday at 06:08 PM

The only name I heard so far this off season that I would trade Abreu for is Elly De La Cruz. I think he would be a difference making and I would be alright with Abreau being in a package to get him. No to any other name that has been thrown out this off season.

mvp 78 · Thursday at 06:58 PM

50 minutes ago, Behindenemylines said:

The only name I heard so far this off season that I would trade Abreu for is Elly De La Cruz. I think he would be a difference making and I would be alright with Abreau being in a package to get him. No to any other name that has been thrown out this off season.

Sounds good to me.

JoeBrady · Thursday at 08:44 PM

7 hours ago, Talk Sox said:

Does the Brewers bullpen provide a blueprint for the Red Sox?

I'm not sure how the #2 or #3 BP is setting a blue print for the #1 BP? Shouldn't that be the other way around?

JoeBrady · Thursday at 08:49 PM

2 hours ago, Behindenemylines said:

The only name I heard so far this off season that I would trade Abreu for is Elly De La Cruz. I think he would be a difference making and I would be alright with Abreau being in a package to get him. No to any other name that has been thrown out this off season.

I'm not sure the article made much sense. Like you said, DLC is a legit star. I'd love to have seen the article demonstrate how trading either guy would improve the team. Who for whom?

UtahSox · 2026-11-06T04:27:06Z

10 hours ago, Behindenemylines said:

The only name I heard so far this off season that I would trade Abreu for is Elly De La Cruz. I think he would be a difference making and I would be alright with Abreau being in a package to get him. No to any other name that has been thrown out this off season.

I’d trade him for a lot of guys depends on the situation who else is included… I think both Duran and 1 other OFer has to go.

JoeBrady · 2026-11-06T04:35:33Z

7 minutes ago, UtahSox said:

I’d trade him for a lot of guys depends on the situation who else is included… I think both Duran and 1 other OFer has to go.

If we trade away an outfielder (and Duran), don't we need to trade FOR an outfielder?

UtahSox · 2026-11-06T07:04:52Z

2 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

If we trade away an outfielder (and Duran), don't we need to trade FOR an outfielder?

No could sign via free agency… put Mead in LF.

JoeBrady · 2026-11-06T14:37:23Z

7 hours ago, UtahSox said:

No could sign via free agency… put Mead in LF.

We could sign a FA, but then that becomes money we can't spend anywhere else.

And Mead has never played the OF.

That said, I am always curious what the actual proposal would look like.

UtahSox · 2026-11-06T17:08:01Z

1 Example: trade Abreu + Masa for Paredes……. freeing up $$ to spend on OFer almost any available adding Paredes and Arozerena? Moving Durbin to 2b

2nd example: Trade Abreu+ Justin Gonzalez+ Bello for CJ Abrams…… let story play SS til Arias is ready and add an OFer like Conforto, Ward, Grisham?

3rd example: Trade Abreu +justin Gonzalez+ Duran for O’Neil Cruz + Jared Jones SP then adding a cheap DH insurance OFer like Taylor Ward high OBP%…

my point is there are 100’s of trades that could make sense to me. And Abreu could be used in a variety of ways to help team improve roster. Only trading WA for DLC isn’t the right way to think of it.

UtahSox · 2026-11-06T17:21:00Z

12 minutes ago, UtahSox said:

1 Example: trade Abreu + Masa for Paredes……. freeing up $$ to spend on OFer almost any available adding Paredes and Arozerena? Moving Durbin to 2b

2nd example: Trade Abreu+ Justin Gonzalez+ Bello for CJ Abrams…… let story play SS til Arias is ready and add an OFer like Conforto, Ward, Grisham?

3rd example: Trade Abreu +justin Gonzalez+ Duran for O’Neil Cruz + Jared Jones SP then adding a cheap DH insurance OFer like Taylor Ward high OBP%…

my point is there are 100’s of trades that could make sense to me. And Abreu could be used in a variety of ways to help team improve roster. Only trading WA for DLC isn’t the right way to think of it.

notin · 2026-11-06T17:39:00Z

10 hours ago, UtahSox said:

No could sign via free agency… put Mead in LF.

We could replace Abreu’s .198 ISO with the .203 ISO of either Suzuki or Arozarena. That’s nearly 3 more total bases per year!!

Deja Doh · 2026-11-06T17:43:12Z

We need power and it's not on the roster or prospects). The last player to hit 30 or more in back to back seasons was JD Martinez in 2018 & 2019 (and before that from 2013 to 2016 with Big Papi). There is no murderers row. The last guy to hit 30 was Tyler O'Neill in 2024.

The leading career home run hitters each with around 200 are Story who is 34 and Contreras 35 and both are getting long in the tooth.

Duran seems to have peaked 3 years ago. If he can be more selective and regain that earlier form, mid 20's are a possibility.

Abreu is a contact hitter with a good eye, but his swing makes me think his back will eventually give out (the swing is too aggressive). Mid 20's

Rafaela is too svelte to produce mid 20's consistently.

Durbin is too small.

Rutschman may be able to hit 20 again, assuming he stays healthy and move to another position.

Anthony seems to have a good eye, and like Abreu is a contact hitter, but has been too injury prone this early in his career. Maybe he can hit 20 home runs (not sure about it).

6 of the top 7 teams in home runs made the playoffs this year.

And while the Brewers and Rays didn't have a 30 home run guy and got to the WS (the Brewers were tied for 2nd least number of HRs), they had other things going for them. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay lead the league in batting average and hits (you know, that old stat AVG that the new age WAR hawks always dismiss). Milwaukee lead the league in OBP, while Tampa was 5th. In contrast we were 15th and 12 in those stats. Tampa struck out the least number of times (they put the ball in play).

mvp 78 · 2026-11-06T17:55:27Z

16 minutes ago, notin said:

We could replace Abreu’s .198 ISO with the .203 ISO of either Suzuki or Arozarena. That’s nearly 3 more total bases per year!!

We're not rearranging the deck chairs here. We are swapping out the deck chairs for more expensive deck chairs!

mvp 78 · 2026-11-06T17:58:45Z

13 minutes ago, Deja Doh said:

We need power and it's not on the roster or prospects). The last player to hit 30 or more in back to back seasons was JD Martinez in 2018 & 2019 (and before that from 2013 to 2016 with Big Papi). There is no murderers row. The last guy to hit 30 was Tyler O'Neill in 2024.

The leading career home run hitters each with around 200 are Story who is 34 and Contreras 35 and both are getting long in the tooth.

Duran seems to have peaked 3 years ago. If he can be more selective and regain that earlier form, mid 20's are a possibility.

Abreu is a contact hitter with a good eye, but his swing makes me think his back will eventually give out (the swing is too aggressive). Mid 20's

Rafaela is too svelte to produce mid 20's consistently.

Durbin is too small.

Rutschman may be able to hit 20 again, assuming he stays healthy and move to another position.

Anthony seems to have a good eye, and like Abreu is a contact hitter, but has been too injury prone this early in his career. Maybe he can hit 20 home runs (not sure about it).

6 of the top 7 teams in home runs made the playoffs this year.

And while the Brewers and Rays didn't have a 30 home run guy and got to the WS (the Brewers were tied for 2nd least number of HRs), they had other things going for them. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay lead the league in batting average and hits (you know, that old stat AVG that the new age WAR hawks always dismiss). Milwaukee lead the league in OBP, while Tampa was 5th. In contrast we were 15th and 12 in those stats. Tampa struck out the least number of times (they put the ball in play).

Only 15 guys hit 60 HR from '25 - '26. Of them, I believe only Lowe and Suarez are FA. Suarez isn't a good bet going forward. Lowe isn't a good bet to stay healthy or hit 30 HR at Fenway.

notin · 2026-11-06T18:32:30Z

37 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

We're not rearranging the deck chairs here. We are swapping out the deck chairs for more expensive deck chairs!

With cup holders?

mvp 78 · 2026-11-06T18:33:33Z

Just now, notin said:

With cup holders?

I didn't say there'd be upgrades!

notin · 2026-11-06T18:38:14Z

39 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Only 15 guys hit 60 HR from '25 - '26. Of them, I believe only Lowe and Suarez are FA. Suarez isn't a good bet going forward. Lowe isn't a good bet to stay healthy or hit 30 HR at Fenway.

Ketel Marte hit 50. Just sayin’

notin · 2026-11-06T18:39:05Z

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I didn't say there'd be upgrades!

So I have to pay more money AND hold my own cup? Whats the umbrella situation?

mvp 78 · 2026-11-06T18:44:45Z

5 minutes ago, notin said:

Ketel Marte hit 50. Just sayin’

I'm not a 30 HR or bust kinda guy.

mvp 78 · 2026-11-06T18:45:43Z

5 minutes ago, notin said:

So I have to pay more money AND hold my own cup? Whats the umbrella situation?

BYOB.

notin · 2026-11-06T18:47:29Z

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

I'm not a 30 HR or bust kinda guy.

If the Sox follow my blueprint and add Marte and Teoscar, they’ll be better.

More expensive. Still no cup holders. But overall better…

UtahSox · 2026-11-06T20:46:45Z

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

We're not rearranging the deck chairs here. We are swapping out the deck chairs for more expensive deck chairs!

2 hours ago, notin said:

We could replace Abreu’s .198 ISO with the .203 ISO of either Suzuki or Arozarena. That’s nearly 3 more total bases per year!!

Come on boys…… you would trade Abreu for someone…. Not gonna trade him for nothing.
so losing Abreu but getting Arozarena and Isaac Paredes would make us better.

or losing Abreu but gaining CJ Abrams & Grisham would be worth it to me.

moonslav59 · 2026-11-06T21:11:47Z

16 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

If we trade away an outfielder (and Duran), don't we need to trade FOR an outfielder?

Or sign Suzuki or maybe Sato and stick him in LF?

Talk of Mead in LF?

moonslav59 · 2026-11-06T21:14:20Z

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Only 15 guys hit 60 HR from '25 - '26. Of them, I believe only Lowe and Suarez are FA. Suarez isn't a good bet going forward. Lowe isn't a good bet to stay healthy or hit 30 HR at Fenway.

Would you say Sato hits 60 from '27 to '28 in a Sox uniform?

Suzuki hit 58 from '25-'26-- would he hit 60 in a Sox uniform?

Arozarena hit 53 in last 2 years turns 32.

mvp 78 · 2026-11-06T21:17:28Z

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Would you say Sato hits 60 from '27 to '28 in a Sox uniform?

Suzuki hit 58 from '25-'26-- would he hit 60 in a Sox uniform?

Arozarena hit 53 in last 2 years turns 32.

Sato maybe. The others no.

Sign In

Red Sox Roundup, Nov 5: Anthony's Injury Struggles, 2027 Free Agents, Abreu's Trade Value

Recommended Posts

Create an account or sign in to comment

Create an account

Sign in

Member Statistics

Recent News

Notes & Rumors

Recent Blog Entries

Recent Status Updates