The Red Sox Will Reportedly Be Buyers at the Trade Deadline

Jim Bowden of The Athletic posted an article detailing 20 things he was hearing and watching regarding the MLB trade deadline. Most peculiarly, he pointed out that the Red Sox, although struggling to remain in playoff contention currently, will be buyers at the deadline, with an eye towards improving the current on-field product. He specifically mentions Boston trading one of their current outfielders for starting pitching help, and an upgrade at first base. As we all know, the rotation has mostly underperformed and Abraham Toro has played incredibly well since joining the big league club in the wake of Triston Casas’ season-ending knee injury, but it’s probably a safe bet that Toro is going to come back down to earth, and Romy Gonzalez is best suited for a utility bench role.

While it’s unfortunate that the Red Sox sit so far out of the AL East picture at the moment, the fact that Craig Breslow and company are looking to improve the current product is another sign that he’s settling into his role as President of Baseball Operations. He fleeced the Yankees for Carlos Narvaez, he traded for Justin Slaten from the Mets after the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, and he traded for and locked up Garrett Crochet to a long-term deal. He has taken steps to prove that he’s serious about putting a winning product on the field. Being buyers at the deadline can further reinforce that stance. Even if the Red Sox miss the postseason this year, aggressively trying to win in the second half can only help the team's culture heading into 2026.

Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Carlos Narvaez, and Kristian Campbell are the future core of this organization. They’ll go through growing pains during this season — we’re currently seeing it with Campbell, and should expect the other three to experience them at some point as well. Bringing in a legitimate first base option and another frontline starter will help ease some of the weight that these four young players are currently shouldering. Being buyers with an eye toward 2026, when the team’s contention window likely actually opens, is a very smart play.

As it stands, we’ve heard rumblings about Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu both being available for trades and that would make sense. Either should fetch another frontline starter as the central piece of a trade package. A name that should be floated in deals for a first baseman is Jhostynxon Garcia. He’s currently tearing up Triple-A, but he’s blocked at every turn in the majors. Even if someone like Rob Refsnyder were to retire at the end of the season, something he considered going into the 2025 season, you wouldn’t want to waste the talent of "The Password" by just stashing him on the bench of the major league club. If he’s a Refsnyder type, holding a bench role and starting occasionally, then the team needs to capitalize on his current run and flip him in a package deal for first base help. Mikey Romero is likely going to get some trade buzz as well, since he’s blocked at his natural positions in the majors as well. You could probably include Yoelin Cespedes in that group, too.. A package of two of them with some other additions could likely net the Red Sox the first baseman they are looking for. The Red Sox are loaded with talent at positions of need for other teams, and most of that minor league talent is blocked at the major league level. The front office needs to clear space in the minors, much like they did with Nick Yorke last year, and add to the major league team in a way that helps for the rest of the 2025 season and the seasons beyond.

In a down season, it’s a bit surprising to see the Red Sox are going to be buyers, but it’s understandable. The season isn’t lost yet, and there’s space atop the American League if they can get there. If not, using the rest of 2025 as a learning year for their top prospects while eyeing 2026 as the first year of true contention is the next best thing. Adding another frontline starter and a proven first baseman is a huge step in the right direction for either scenario. Craig Breslow seems like he's not running away from trading household names just because they are popular. Being able to do that and navigate the turbulent seas for a bit after the trade is going to be his next big test. I'm confident he can pass that test with flying colors, and the Red Sox will greatly benefit from it.