If A Red Sox Fire Sale Happens, These Players Could Be on the Move

As of this writing, the Boston Red Sox sit at a record of 30-34, putting them nine and a half games back of the AL East-leading Yankees, and four games out of the Wild Card race. Although they walked off the Angels to avoid a sweep, it inspired very little confidence in the team, and they have now been thrusted into a crucial series against the Yankees. This series isn’t make or break, but it’s close to it.

At the conclusion of Sunday’s game. we will be about one month out from the All-Star break, and unless the play on the field picks up significantly, then we are likely looking at the team being sellers at the deadline. This could be Craig Breslow’s first big test as the President of Baseball Operations. Chaim Bloom struggled navigating the trade deadline during his tenure in Boston, choosing to both buy and sell while failing to reset the luxury tax penalties when it was clear the team was out of contention. Ultimately, I believe that was one of the main things that cost Bloom the job in Boston. Breslow will look to avoid doing that, even if it means participating in a fire sale of flippable pieces. Let’s take a look at who is most likely to be moved in that type of situation.

• Aroldis Chapman, 1 year/$10.75 million

In the event of a fire sale, Chapman will be the first man out the door. Tyler Milliken reported on Episode 551 of Section 10 that teams are already hovering around the Red Sox waiting for Chapman to be made available. It makes sense, given that Chapman has had a career resurgence since signing with Boston in the offseason. He’s sitting on a 1.80 ERA, a 33.3% strikeout rate, and a 9.1% walk rate. He only has one blown save on the season to go with nine saves and one hold. Chapman has been traded three times in his career; from the Reds to the Yankees (2016), the Yankees to the Cubs (2016), then the Royals to the Rangers (2023). Each time, he has netted the club trading him away MLB caliber talent, which the Red Sox will need as they gear up for 2026. 

• Walker Buehler, 1 year/$21.05 million with a 2026 mutual option

While Buehler hasn’t blown anyone away, he has been a dependable arm for the Boston Red Sox. He’s currently sporting a 4.44 ERA in 46.2 innings with 42 strikeouts. He’s not the flamethrower he used to be, but his expansive pitch mix typically keeps him in games through the sixth inning. In Boston, he’s the de facto number two pitcher in the rotation, but on a competitive team he would slot in as a fourth or fifth option, where he would thrive. A deal for Buehler would likely center around minor league pieces with upside instead of MLB-ready players, but he would likely command a decent haul if dealt. If the Red Sox fall completely out of the Wild Card race, Buehler would be a very popular rental option on the market.

• Jarren Duran, 1 year/$3.85 with a 2026 club option

The Padres are already sniffing around Duran this season. As I outlined a few days ago, a trade to San Diego doesn’t make a ton of sense unless the Padres are willing to let go of one of their elite talents, and even then, it’s a tough sell, as the two pitchers the Red Sox would likely be interested in would only be rentals for the 2025 season. Duran is currently slashing .274/.323/.423, numbers that don’t match his All-Star 2024 season but are still impressive. Bleacher Report has compiled a list of ten possible trade packages for Duran, and while some make more sense than others, it’s a solid place to start when looking at potential values. Duran to Seattle makes a lot of sense to me, and they have the pieces to get a trade done fairly quickly.

• Alex Bregman, 3 years/$120 million

Although currently injured, Bregman seems to be returning from his strained quad quicker than anticipated. This could put him back in game action well before the trade deadline. If the Red Sox don’t believe that Bregman will return for the 2026 season, they could look to move him to a contender as well. It would leaving a gaping hole in both the defense and lineup, but at the time of his injury Bregman was slashing .299/.385/.553. He hasn’t approached those numbers since 2019, and teams are going to want to add that kind of offense to their postseason push. With his contract having multiple player options included (that he'll certainly opt out of at this rate), then the return won't be as impressive as some are hoping (rental position players rarely net elite talent in sell-side trades), but I wouldn’t rule out a trade of Bregman if things keep going down hill.

• Wilyer Abreu, 1 year/$780k (arbitration eligible in 2027)

I think an Abreu trade is the least likely on this list, but Jeff Passan did write that the Sox could entertain moving both him and Duran. Abreu has cooled way off since his scorching hot start to the season but he is young, controllable, and has a high ceiling. He should command a large return package made up of both MLB-ready players with control and young prospects. Any deal that involves Abreu, a Gold Glove winner, will further weaken the lineup and defense, but if the team is out of contention by the deadline, it won’t be such a hard pill to swallow at that point.

Most people had incredibly high hopes for the 2025 Boston Red Sox, and those hopes haven’t been reached. If the team continues to tailspin down the standings in June, then some players that fans like are going to have to be traded away as the team eyes a 2026 contention window. This isn’t the season we hoped for, but it’s going to be up to Craig Breslow to make some tough decisions and put the future teams at the forefront of his decision-making. If the 2025 Red Sox aren’t going to be competitive, a fire sale may be unavoidable.