Even if the Red Sox are Buyers, These Players Could be on the Move

The Red Sox look as though they are in a place to be buyers just days away from the trade deadline. With reports that Jarren Duran is now off the market, it may seem like Boston has no intention of dealing players from the big league roster. Not so!

Below, we’re going to break down three major league contributors and the case for trading them, and some trade comps to see what a return could look like. While predicting trade packages is nearly impossible, knowing that this is very much a sellers market means that a return coming back to Boston would likely be even a bit more favorable than the recent examples.

Aroldis Chapman, LHP

Why He Should be Traded
I figured I’d start with the most controversial name. The Red Sox don’t currently have an answer to replace Chapman in the bullpen, though Garrett Whitlock is making a strong case to be in that conversation. Regardless, that shouldn’t stop the front office from listening to offers on their lefty closer. Why? He’s 37 years old and on a one-year, $10.75 million deal. He’s had a career resurgence in Boston this season and that’s fantastic, but it would be foolish to expect this to continue past 2025. The Red Sox shouldn’t entertain locking him into a multi-year contract, so the smart move here is to trade him while the market is losing pitching targets left and right. The market for Chapman will never be hotter and the Red Sox need to capitalize on that. His 1.30 ERA over 41 2/3 innings is incredible, but as we saw when he exited the finale against the Dodgers with back tightness, things may be going in the other direction for Chapman. If that’s the case, holding onto him instead of selling incredibly high is the absolute worst thing the team can do.

Recent Trade Comp - Aroldis Chapman in 2023
We don’t have to look far to have an easy trade comp for Chapman. Let’s wind the clock back just a few seasons to 2023, when the Kansas City Royals swapped Chapman to the Texas Rangers for Cole Ragans and Roni Cabrera. Ragans, who is currently injured, is the No. 2 starter for the Royals when he’s healthy. The Red Sox are rumored to be interested in a starter of that caliber, and if they want to actually land that at the deadline, Chapman could be at the center of that package. Trading Chapman would require the Sox to bring in another elite level closer at some point down the road, but this would be the right move in the long-term for the franchise.

Walker Buehler, RHP

Why He Should be Traded 
The eye test isn’t a thing Buehler will pass while he’s in Boston. His postseason success in 2024 likely gave the Red Sox confidence to bring him in and hope they could finish unlocking whatever needed to be figured out so he could be a solid major league contributor again. So far, that’s failed to happen. When Buehler is up for his turn through the rotation, there is very little confidence that the game isn’t going to get out of hand quickly. His 5.72 ERA has come down thanks to a handful of low-scoring outings lately, but his walk percentage is at 10.1% while his strikeout rate is just 17.6%. We know he’s not throwing gas anymore, but you expect him to be able to get more swings and misses. He’s just not doing that though. The value here, low though it may be, is present for a team that is looking for a back-end starter with postseason experience.

Recent Trade Comp - Martin Perez in 2024
Last season, in an attempt to push themselves over the edge in a loaded NL West division, the Padres traded for LHP Martin Perez. In the deal, they sent LHP Ronaldys Jimenez to the Pirates. Jimenez was playing rookie ball in the Dominican Summer League when he was traded and is currently with the FCL Pirates with a 2-1 record and a 4.18 ERA. If Buehler is moved, a deal on the fringes of the organization is about all you could hope to get in return for him. This would be addition by subtraction more than anything, and only advisable if the Red Sox swing a deal for another starter.

David Hamilton, UTIL

Why He Should be Traded
We all know that David Hamilton is on the team due to his versatility and ability to be a menace on the basepaths. Just look at when he came in as a pinch-runner in the top of the ninth against the Twins. He stole second and third to give the team a chance to score, which they did. His value lies in his speed, and the Red Sox have enough speed to be able to make Hamilton available in the right deal. He’s slashing just .179/.229/.276, and while he plays a passable second base, he’s not needed once Marcelo Mayer returns from his wrist injury. He’s still relatively young, only 27, and won’t reach free agency until 2030. While there’s not a ton of meat on the bone here, a team looking for a late-inning spark on its bench could do far worse than Hamilton.

Recent Trade Comp - Tommy Edman in 2024
While not a perfect comp, the trade of Edman from the Cardinals to the Dodgers is the closest I think we can get here. Edman was part of a three-team dea,l so that complicates things a bit, but the Cardinals received cash back for Edman. As part of that trade, they also received recently-traded starter Erick Fedde and journeyman Tommy Pham. We already know that the Yankees are interested in Hamilton, so that should indicate that other teams may be sniffing around him as well. If the Sox are willing to listen on Hamilton, then a deal for him straight up likely won’t net much in return. If he’s part of a larger package, or another multi-team swap, then Boston could easily come out on top in that trade.