Matthew Lenz

The Boston Red Sox have had an eventful and mostly successful offseason. While it's easy to focus on the whiff on Alex Bregman, the Red Sox have been able to significantly improve their rotation and add Willson Contreras to their roster. On Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic provided an update on a player who's been involved in trade rumors for months. Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Kansas City Royals are "unlikely to land" Jarren Duran. For a long time, the Royals and Red Sox seemed destined to make a deal, as one side had pitching to offer and the other needed pitching. However, this recent update suggests the Royals are satisfied, rolling with the options they currently have on their roster. This is all not to say that the Red Sox still won't try to move Duran, as they still have a traffic jam in the outfield with Masataka Yoshida, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu, along with Duran. That's five guys for three outfield spots and a DH. All the while, the Red Sox are still looking for help in the infield - specifically, third base. While most of the rumors had the targeting pitching in a trade, they may need to shift their sights to players who can play on the dirt. Of the five options, who do you think the Red Sox should try to move? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

After missing out on Alex Bregman and landing Ranger Suarez, the Boston Red Sox are still looking to fill the hot corner with a bat. However, it doesn't appear reinforcements will come via two names they've been tied to for months. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe is reporting that the Red Sox are "unlikely suitors" for Bob Bichette and that the door on Ketel Marte is "firmly shut." If the Red Sox are going to add an impact bat that can handle the hot corner, then Eugenio Suarez is really the only player to fit that description on the market. Otherwise, they've been tied to Isaac Paredes of the Houston Astros or could look to the Chicago Cubs, who might move one of Matt Shaw or Nico Hoerner after landing Bregman. Other names on the market with less oomph include Yoan Moncada and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Who do you think the Red Sox should add? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

The Boston Red Sox need to shift their sights after losing Alex Bregman to free agency. They have their work cut out for them as they try to rebuild some trust with a rightfully frustrated fan base. Ken Rosenthal has identified two different plan B options. Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that "some in the Red Sox organization are high on free agent LHP Ranger Suarez". Suarez, 30, has had a very productive stat to his career with the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2025, he made 26 starts while throwing 157 1/3 innings. He posted a 3.20 ERA (3.21 FIP) and a 17.4% K-BB rate. MLBTR projected him to earn $115 million over five years in free agency this year. Additionally, Rosenthal speculated that Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs could be an Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette alternative. Hoerner, who will be a free agent following the 2026 season, may be available after the Chicago Cubs won the Bregman sweepstakes. Rosenthal speculates that it would take "a young pitcher such as Connelly Early or Payton Tolle" and is uncertain whether Red Sox brass would be willing to part ways with either asset for one year of Hoerner. Across 665 plate appearances, Hoerner carried an OPS of .739, a 109 wRC+, seven home runs, and 29 stolen bases. Though he primarily played second base in 2025, Hoerner has spent time at all positions aside from catcher, first base, and right field. Do you think the Red Sox should add either player? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

With Alex Bregman in the rearview mirror, the Boston Red Sox are forced to move to Plan B to fill the gap at third base. While many expect the club to prioritize Bo Bichette, he does not represent the only middle of the order hot corner bat on the market. Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive I reporting that the Boston Red Sox "like" free agent third baseman Eugenio Suarez. They add that it will be sooner rather than later for Suarez to find out if they will become serious bitters for his services. While Suarez is not as attractive of an option as Bregman or Bichette, however, Suarez provides legitimate 40+ home run potential. Something that can't be said for either of the other two free agents, they've been tied to. Of course, the biggest risk with Suarez is his strikeout rate that was approaching 30% in 2025 and his glove leaves a lot to be desired. Do you think the Red Sox should pursue Suarez, prioritize Bichette, or set their eyes on the pitching staff? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

L.A.A.B. - Life After Alex Bregman. That's where the Red Sox are in their offseason after losing out on the superstar third baseman to the Chicago Cubs. While many expect the club to shift its sights to Bo Bichette, Eugenio Suarez, or another impact bat, Rob Bradford of WEEI suggests a different approach. In a recent tweet, Bradford suggested that the Red Sox "re-engage with higher-end pitching while still looking to acquire a lower-tier bat." Of course, Bichette and Suarez would not fit in the "lower-tier" category, so Bradford is merely suggesting to bolster the pitching staff's ability to prevent runs rather than the offense's ability to produce runs. After acquiring Sonny Gray earlier this offseason, the Red Sox's rotation is the strength of their team. Even with Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck on the shelf for most of 2025, pitchers three through five of the rotation are among the strongest in all of baseball. Additionally, the bullpen will look to continue to be good after a successful 2025 campaign. That really begs the question...just how big of a pitcher do they need to land for it really to make an impact on the outlook of the club? Would adding a #2 starter that bumps Patrick Sandoval out of the rotation really be better than adding a middle-of-the-order bat? Would adding another high-leverage arm that bumps a low-leverage arm like Jovani Moran off the roster or at least to Triple-A Wincester really be better than Bo Bichette? These are all things that the Red Sox need to weigh as they look to get back into the good graces of a fan base left in despair after Bregman bolted for the Windy City. Do you think the Red Sox should add pitching or hitting? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

At this point, it seems like just a matter of time until the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals come to an agreement on a deal headlined by outfielder Jarren Duran. And the latest update on the saga, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Kansas City Royals are still interested in Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran … if they lower the asking price. Rosenthal goes on to say, "The Royals are under the impression Duran would cost them left-hander Cole Ragans, though the Red Sox view the initial talks as more informal and exploratory." The inclusion of Ragans seems to be what is holding up the two sides from coming to an agreement. While both players are controllable through 2028, Ragans is considerably cheaper and is at a more premium position. Additionally, Rosenthal shares that the Royals generally believe he is more valuable… a game one starter in a hypothetical postseason game. Our sister site, Royals Keep, shared potential matchups in a trade for Jarren Duran, Click here to read our in-depth piece on scenarios. Do you think the Red Sox should drop their asking price to move Duran? Or up the offer to ensure they land Ragans? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly looking to shore up their Keystone by kicking the tires on a three-time National League All-Star second baseman. Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently ranked Ketel Marte as the third-best trade candidate on the market. Nightengale identifies pitching as a need for the Arizona Diamondbacks, of which the Red Sox have plenty after acquiring Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals last week. Marte has five years left on a deal he signed last spring, totaling $116.5 million, with $46 million in deferrals. Marte, 32, posted a +5 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and a +3 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2025. Offensively, he scored 87 runs with 28 home runs and four stolen bases. He carried an .893 OPS, .381 wOBA, and a 145 wRC+; he's a plus player on both sides of the ball. Do you think the Red Sox should trade for Marte? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

The Boston Red Sox's 40-man roster is currently full, with the non-tender deadline fast approaching. By Friday, the Red Sox will have to determine whom they will tender and non-tender, the latter of which will open spots on the 40-man roster. With about four days to go until that deadline, one pitcher on the bubble is likely to be kept. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that the Boston Red Sox are "unlikely" to non-tender starting pitcher Tanner Houck, despite the righty missing all of 2026. Houck's 2025 season with the Red Sox consisted of nine starts before he was sidelined with an elbow issue in mid-May. He struggled through 43 2/3 innings with a FIP of 6.16 and a K-BB rate of 7.4%. Houck was placed on the shelf due to a right flexor pronator strain and later required surgery, which is expected to keep him off a major-league mound until 2027. MLBTR projects him to earn $3.95 million via arbitration. Do you agree the Red Sox should tender Houck despite his injury? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

Earlier this week, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said the Boston Red Sox's primary focus was on a front-line number two starter and a middle-of-the-order power bat. However, one report suggests they are interested in a high-end reliever. Will Sammon of The Athletic is reporting that the Boston Red Sox are interested in former Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees closer Devin Williams. Williams struggled through 67 appearances for the Bronx Bombers, logging 62 innings pitched in relief. Though he posted a career-high 4.79 ERA, his 2.68 FIP suggests he was better than the surface stat indicates. On the other hand, his K-BB rate of 25.0%, which would be considered low for most pitchers, was below his career average. If we can point to one thing as the reason for his struggles, it would be his league-worst 55.2% strand rate—a number roughly 20 points below his career norm and typically not predictive from one season to another. MLBTR projects him to net $68 million over four years. Do you think the Red Sox should pursue Williams in hopes of a rebound? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

While the Boston Red Sox will be extremely busy this offseason revamping their roster via free agency and the trade market, they'll also be monitoring the progress of injuries across the organization. On Monday, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow provided offseason injury updates from the General Manager meetings in Las Vegas, NV. Roman Anthony, who finished 3rd in AL Rookie of the Year voting, is "completely asymptomatic" after missing the final 22 games of the season and playoffs with a left oblique strain. He added that it's business as usual for Anthony, who "should start swinging in a couple of weeks..." Triston Casas, who suffered a devastating knee injury in May, is rehabbing in Fort Myers, FL. Breslow was not willing to put a timeline on Casas, but added, "Triston is anticipating being ready for spring training." Injury aside, Casas has been the subject of trade speculation and was noncommittal when asked whether he would be the team's first baseman in 2026. This led Casas to make a very cryptic post on Instagram. Marcelo Mayer's "been making great progress to the point that he was pushing to get back in time if we had continued deeper into the postseason", said Breslow. Mayer had wrist surgery in August. He also provided updates on pitchers Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins. Fitts is throwing and is going into the offseason with no limitations", according to Breslow. Dobbins has begun a full throwing program after ACL surgery in August. He is expected to be ready by Spring Training. Update: Christopher Smith of MassLive shared the following quote from Breslow Tuesday evening - "Red Sox catchers Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong, who both had surgery after the season: 'They're doing well. We don't anticipate any issues, and I think very shortly those guys will be having full, healthy offseasons.'" Mostly good news on the injury front for the Red Sox, but what do you think will happen with Casas? Do the Red Sox need a contingency plan in case he's not ready or is traded? Let us know in the comments! Note: this information was readily available across X, though most information was taken from Christopher Smith's article on MassLive. View full rumor

In the last couple of days, it's been reported that the Boston Red Sox could be looking to upgrade from outfielder Jarren Duran and will prioritize a frontline starter behind ace Garrett Crochet. Jon Morosi of MLB Network is reporting that sources have indicated that the Kansas City Royals are seeking outfield reinforcements and that the Boston Red Sox are potential trade partners. The Red Sox have been rumored to be looking for an upgrade over outfielder Duran, while MLBTR also identifies Wilyer Abreu as a trade candidate. Duran, who has an $8 million club option, carried an OPS of .774 with 16 home runs and 24 stolen bases across 696 plate appearances in 2025. Abreu, controllable through 2029, played in only 115 games, yet the 26-year-old still mashed 22 home runs to go along with six stolen bases. The Red Sox are looking to upgrade their pitching rotation, which makes a deal between the two even more sense. The Royals have solid options as rotation upgrades in Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic. Ragans appeared in 13 games in the 2025 season, pitching 61 2/3 innings for the Royals. He posted a 4.67 ERA (3.00 FIP) with a strong K-BB rate of 29.7%. Bubic was an All-Star in 2025, throwing 116 1/3 innings with a 2.89 FIP and a 16.2% K-BB rate. Do you think the Red Sox should trade for Ragans or Bubic? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

Major League Baseball's GM Meetings are underway in Las Vegas this week. Though it's rare for any moves to come to fruition during the week, it undoubtedly provides teams with an opportunity to start conversations around potential targets. Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow wasted no time stoking the hot stove. As has been speculated by baseball beat writers and reporters early in the offseason, Breslow identified a number two start and middle-of-the-order power bat as the team's top two priorities this offseason. On the pitching front, rumors have continued on Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan, whom the Red Sox made a last-ditch attempt on at the 2025 trade deadline. Though he's obviously better than a number two, they could swing bigger if the Detroit Tigers do, in fact, put Tarik Skubal on the block. Additionally, rumors have been swirling regarding Milwaukee Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, though Bob Nightengale recently refuted that he would be made available. On the free agent market, they could target players like Dylan Cease, Michael King, Framber Valdez, Tatsuya Imai, Ranger Suarez, Zac Gallen, Brandon Woodruff, Shota Imanaga, and Chris Bassitt, among others. It's worth noting that King, Valdez, Suarez, Gallen, Woodruff, and Imanaga were tendered qualifying offers. On the offensive side of the ball, Kyle Tucker (who might be the "upgrade" the team is looking for over Jarren Duran), Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso all represent potential options. Of course, they also look to bring back Alex Bregman and have been linked to Bo Bichette. There are many potential options to address the needs identified by Breslow. Who do you think the Red Sox should add? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor