Or better yet, have the Mariners pay the money. You know, since the Giants would probably raise all sorts of questions if asked.
Ray might be more productive, but you also have to hold on to him longer. By the time Ray got back on the mound, Abreu's contract would be almost over.
So I'm not so sure paying $73mill for maybe a year and a half of Ray is necessarily a better use than paying $39mill for what is left of Abreu. And while you could lessen the pay by having the Mariners kick in some cash, you could also ask the Astros to do the same.
There are plenty of other bad deals the Sox could swap Yoshida for that would probably outproduce Abreu, but that doesn't mean they would be smarter trades. The Angels would definitely deal Anthony Rendon for him, for example. But he is owed $115mill through 2026 and hasn't topped 58 games since 2019. A definite pass, even if he does outproduce Abreu and the Angels kick in some serious cash...