Matthew Lenz

The Boston Red Sox continue to receive bad news regarding starting pitcher Kutter Crawford who was dealing with worst pain earlier this month. Now, Tim Healey of the Boston Globe is reporting that the 29 year old need wrist surgery and is "likely done for the year". It's a frustrating development for Crawford who started the season dealing with soreness in the patellar tendon of his right knee. He had previously been placed on the 60-day IL where he is expected fo stay for the majority and maybe now the entirety of the 2025 season. It's another tough blow to the Red Sox struggling rotation - a position group they'll need to bolster at the trade deadline if they intend to make a push for the playoffs in the second half of the season. With bad news continuing to rain down on the season, should the Red Sox be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? Join the conversation in the comments! View full rumor

We are a little over a month away from the trade deadline and reports are starting to fly on suggesting that the Boston Red Sox will look to address two positions of need. Despite dealing Rafael Devers and sitting six games back in the AL East, the Red Sox are planning on being "buyers" at the trade deadline. After the loss of Tristan Casas, the Red Sox haven't been able to find a productive solution at first base. At one point they were having Kristian Campbell take reps at first, but he's since been demoted due to poor performance. Now, Jon Heyman of the NY Post is now suggesting that the Red Sox could pursue Josh Naylor of the Arizona Diamondbacks or Ryan O'Hearn of the Baltimore Orioles. In addition to first base, Heyman adds the need for a veteran starting pitcher to bolster the rotation. This week, the Red Sox lost Hunter Dobbins to the IL and got news of a setback in Kutter Crawford's rehab. Who would your trade deadline targets be at these positions? View full rumor

Yet, another blow to the Boston Red Sox roster. Now, Hunter Dobbins has been placed on the 15-day IL with a right elbow strain. In a corresponding move, the Res Sox have recalled Richard Fitts from Triple-A Worcester. When speaking to a pool of reporters on Sunday, Dobbins stated "Just some tightness that we’ve been grinding through for a little bit. It hasn’t been bouncing back how we would like, so [we’re] just trying to give it a couple for weeks." Dobbins has been serviceable in mostly a starter's capacity with a 4.10 ERA but a 3.85 FIP that suggests he's pitching better than his surface stats suggest. In 12 big-league appearances (10 starts) he has a lowly 10.8% strikeout-minus-walk (K-BB) rate, largely due to a lack of swing-and-miss type stuff. Fitts struggled in five starts with the team before hitting the IL with a shoulder injury in mid-April. In four starts with Worcester, he had a 4.20 ERA and a 10.6% K-BB rate. Do you think the Red Sox should add pitching between now and the trade deadline? View full rumor

The Boston Red Sox continue to get bad news. Gordo of WEEI is now reporting that Boston Red Sox starting pitcher, Kutter Crawford, has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation program. Crawford has yet to make his 2025 debut, but did make a single rehab appearance for Triple-A Worcester about a month ago. Crawford, 29, was initially dealing with knee soreness when players convened for Spring Training. While rehabbing his knee, wrist pain developed and has led to him being sent to Boston for an MRI. It's unclear when the MRI will take place. The Red Sox middling rotation really needs to be bolstered and they're banking on Crawford's return as he lead the league in starts last year. Despite dealing Devers, the Red Sox plan on being buyers at the deadline and could add a starter that way if Crawford is going to be out for an extended period of time. View full rumor

With the July 31st trade deadline looming on the horizon, urgency will begin to mount for many Major League Baseball teams. While some clubs are firmly entrenched in playoff contention and will be looking to bolster their rosters, there is a distinct group already facing the reality of a lost season. So, who are the likely sellers from the National League? What valuable assets might they put on the market, and how could the Boston Red Sox leverage these opportunities to their advantage? Let's delve into the teams poised to ignite the hot stove and the potential impact on the Red Sox playoff aspirations. Colorado Rockies The Rockies are on pace for all sorts of records — and not in a good way. They are currently on pace to win 45 ball games, which is barely more than the historically-futile 2024 Chicago White Sox. The Rockies don't have much in the form of rentals, with starters German Márquez (6.62 ERA) and Austin Gomber (just returned from a shoulder injury) the only expiring deals, but that's not to say they don't have trade chips. Most notably, I anticipate many teams will be calling about starter Kyle Freeland (controlled through 2026) and third baseman Ryan McMahon (controlled through 2027). Freeland’s surface numbers are heavily inflated by pitching in Coors. On the road, the lefty has a 3.64 ERA (3.31 FIP) and a 14.6% strikeout-minus-walk rate. In regard to McMahon, Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs have already shown interest in the 30-year-old. Like Freeland, McMahon’s surface stats are also impacted by Coors — a .739 OPS overall drops by nearly 200 points on the road. Other less notable names that could be available are infielders Thairo Estrada and Kyle Farmer, who both have mutual options for 2026. Miami Marlins The Marlins are 15 games under .500 and well outside of the playoff picture. However, they are the youngest team in Major League Baseball, which makes it a challenge to know how much they're willing to sell. Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby, and Agustín Ramírez have all been great, but they're also in their pre-arbitration years. Would the rebuilding Marlins really sell what looks to be a solid core of hitters? I doubt it. On the other hand, starting pitchers Cal Quantrill (a free agent at season's end) and Sandy Alcántara (controllable through 2026) could be attractive “buy low” options at the deadline. Quantrill has an ERA-minus-FIP of 1.27 and Alcántara, a former Cy Young award winner, has underperformed his ERA by 2.43 runs. However, both have well below average strikeout-minus-walk rates, suggesting their upside might be limited with some tweaking of their pitch profiles. The Marlins have gotten some good production out of their bullpen from guys like Ronny Henriquez, Janson Junk, and Patrick Monteverde. While these guys are controllable, it would make sense for the Marlins to listen to offers on any relievers. Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates are in a race for second worst team in the NL with the Marlins. There's been (mostly sarcastic) speculation that they may trade starter Paul Skenes, but I don't think they will do that, at least for now. Instead, they have a few assets who will likely have a market over the next month and a half. There's already been rumors floating around regarding infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has a solid (but empty) .714 OPS. Other solid players on expiring deals include outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham, as well as starter Andrew Heaney, and reliever Ryan Borucki. Aside from Borucki, whose peripherals suggest some positive regression, all of those players have been more than serviceable this season. However, the most valuable realistic trade chip is current closer David Bednar, who is controlled through the 2026 season. In 20 appearances, the righty has a 3.42 ERA, 2.14 FIP, and a 29.2% strikeout-minus-walk rate. He may end up being the most sought after reliever on the market. Red Sox Needs The Red Sox's path at the trade deadline remains uncertain, hinging on their performance over the next month. With a 39-37 record, they're on the cusp of a Wild Card spot, a testament to overcoming numerous injuries. This very resilience, coupled with the hope of returning players, might push them to be buyers. However, the Rafael Devers trade recent and rumors surrounding Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu suggest one of two things: they might trade offense for much-needed rotation help, as their starting pitching ranks in the bottom half of the league. they are leaning towards selling at the deadline. While reinforcements are returning at some point, they aren't game-changers. Given previous comments from Craig Breslow, I anticipate the Red Sox to be buyers at the deadline. Pairing up with any of the three teams discussed above could make a lot of sense. Should the Red Sox commit to buying, selling, or would standing pat be a better strategy? View full article

Days after the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants agreed to a blockbuster trade, additional information behind the trade discussion is emerging. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that the Red Sox initially wanted first baseman and top prospect, Bryce Eldridge to headline the return package for Devers. She also reported that the Giants quickly rebuffed that idea. Eldridge, 21, is a consensus top 50 prospect in all of baseball. Recently, he was promoted to the Giants Triple-A affiliate, though he has struggled through his first 60 played appearances at the level. Eldridge as the Red Sox primary target makes a lot of sense with the uncertainty and injury history surrounding the team's primary first baseman Tristan Casas. Do you think the Red Sox should have stuck to their guns or are you happy with the return for Devers? View full rumor

The struggle has been real for former Boston Red Sox top prospect Kristian Campbell. The 23-year-old has a .223/.319/.345 slash line with six home runs and two stolen bases across 263 plate appearances. Overall, his production - or lack thereof - computes to a 86 wRC+. Campbell has been used as the teams primary second baseman, but has played a little outfield with the big-league club. After Tristan Casas' injury, he was also getting practice reps at first base. If there is one positive to take away from his first two and a half months in the big league it's that his walk rate was 11%. However, a strikeout rate of 27.4% and swing percentage may indicate that he needs to be a bit more aggressive at the plate. From a scale of 1-10 how concerned are with you Campbell's long term outlook? View full rumor

Even though the MLB trade deadline is still a ways off, it's starting to get late early for some teams across Major League Baseball. With July 31 serving as the league-wide trade ultimatum, we are roughly a month away from the hot stove reaching it's inferno. However, there are a handful of teams who we can pretty confidently say are going to be sellers around the deadline. Who are they, what do they have to offer, and how could the Boston Red Sox benefit? Let's dive in. Chicago White Sox The White Sox are 12 games below .500 and 13 games out of a playoff spot. They acknowledged a multi-year rebuild over the offseason, so it shouldn't be surprising that they are sellers once again. Potential rentals include outfielders Michael A. Taylor and Austin Slater, as well as recently-acquired starter Aaron Civale. Otherwise, intriguing players who are controlled beyond 2025 include infielder Josh Rojas and outfielder Mike Tauchman. However, it’s more realistic that teams aggressively kick the tires on outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who has been the subject of trade speculation for a while now. Robert Jr. signed a pre arbitration extension that included $20 million team options for 2026 and 2027 that can be bought out for $2 million. Once a top prospect in baseball, the 28-year-old has had a hard time staying healthy throughout his career and has struggled at the plate over the last two seasons. Given the Red Sox's glut of outfielders, it's possible both sides simply don't match up on a trade. However, given their existing rapport following the Garrett Crochet blockbuster, don't count out the Sox dealing with each other again. Athletics The Athletics have been in a free fall ever since they started their season 22-20. In their last 28 games, they have just four wins. While they are a young team with some exciting talent, they're obviously not ready yet and have a handful of rentals that teams could kick the tires on. Most notably are utility players Miguel Andujar and Luis Urias, who have both produced above average at the plate. Third baseman Gio Urshela is more than two years removed from his last productive season and has a mediocre glove at the hot corner, but could be an intriguing option to handle the short side of a platoon. On the mound, Jose Leclerc and T.J. McFarland are two potential reliever rentals, though Leclerc has been sidelined with a lat strain since April and McFarland has been plain bad. It seems likely that at least one of Andujar, Urias, or Urshela is traded ahead of the deadline, though, again, the Red Sox may not be the best fit here. Baltimore Orioles Injuries aside, it's still pretty shocking to see the Orioles struggling this much. After winning 91 games and earning a playoff berth in 2024, they are currently 13 games below .500 and 8.5 games out of a playoff spot. The difference here is that the Orioles are not in the midst of a rebuild, so it's likely they limit their moves to players on expiring deals. Those names include: pitchers Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Gregory Soto, as well as outfielder Cedric Mullins. Of those players, Eflin, Sugano, and Soro are having successful seasons on the mound and will draw significant trade interest. However, two names that have been the subject of trade rumors but are controllable beyond 2025 are first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and outfielder Heston Kjerstad. Mountcastle, who will miss the next 8-12 weeks with a hamstring strain, is having a down year with a .628 OPS and two home runs. Kjerstad, who was recently optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, has also struggled this season but has often found himself as the odd man out of a stacked group of young talent. An intra-divisional trade seems unlikely on the surface, but a first baseman of the future or a talented reliever could be in the cards if Boston and Baltimore put their differences aside. Red Sox Needs Whether the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers will really depend on how the next month pans out. At 34-36, they're well within striking distance of a wild card spot. In one sense, it's a miracle they're only two games below .500, considering the number of injuries they've been dealing with on both sides of the ball. It's those very injuries and the sense of hope that as those players return, that may convince the Red Sox to be buyers. In recent weeks, rumors started swirling that the Red Sox would be open to dealing Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu. Perhaps they are looking to flip some offense for pitching, especially in the rotation. Currently, the Red Sox's starting rotation is in the bottom half of the league by many metrics. Something needs to be done to give Crochet a true running mate. Do you think the Red Sox should buy-in at the deadline, sell or stand pat? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

Earlier this week, the Milwaukee Brewers moved starter Aaron Civale to the bullpen in favor of top prospect Jacob Misiorowski. The move has prompted the 30-year-old right hander to request a trade from the Brewers in hopes of remaining a starter with another team, according to Ken, Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. In five starts his season, Civale has a 4.29 ERA (4.30 FIP) and a mediocre 15.2% strikeout minus walk rate. He's been particularly susceptible to the long ball this season as he's given up five home runs across 22 innings pitched. Civale is making $8 million this season, which will be prorated based on his service time this season, and will be entering free agency at seasons end. He'd be a plenty serviceable arm for a Boston Red Sox rotation that has dealt with an onslaught of injuries this year, both in and outside of the rotation. For more information on Civale, check out this articles related to the news on our sister site, Brewer Fanatic. Do you think the Red Sox should kick the tires on Civale? Or with the rotations stacking up, would it not be smart to invest in a rental? Join the conversation in the comments! View full rumor

Earlier this week baseball America updated their top 100 prospects for the month of June. The Boston Red Sox, who had five players make the list in May, now lead baseball with six players ranked inside the top 100. Roman Anthony, who should have reached the big leagues by now, is tagged as the best prospect in baseball. Meanwhile, Marcelo Mayer (#7), Franklin Arias (#65), Peyton Tolle (#88), and Brandon Clarke (#90) remain on the list from the May release. Kristian Campbell, previously ranked as the best prospect, has graduated from the list. Jhostnyxon Garcia debuts on the list coming in as the 98th rated prospect in all of baseball. Garcia, who earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester last month, has been debating the top level of Minor League Baseball. He is slashing .364/.386/.673 with four home runs in 57 plate appearances. With the big-league club in shambles, how long will it be until we see some of these names at Fenway? Join the conversation in the comments. View full rumor

The Boston Red Sox are 29-33 and nine games out of first place in the American League East. While they haven't waived the white flag themselves, Jeff Passan of ESPN is reporting that another GM indicated that star outfielders Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran could be moved before the trade deadline. It's been a disappointing season thus for for the Red Sox who entered the year with aspirations of ending their three-year postseason absence. Unfortunately, under performance and a bevy of injuries has the club four games under .500 and 4.5 games out of a wild card spot. Duran and Abreu would draw significant trade interest if officially put on the block. Both players have been well above-average producers at the plate this season. Do you think the Red Sox should move these two or ride out the injuries and stay the course? View full rumor

Following a 5-0 shutout on Saturday night, the Boston Red Sox are expected to make two roster moves on Sunday ahead of the rubber match against the Atlanta Braves. Chris Henrique of the Boston Sports Journal was the first to report the Eaton move, and Chris Cotillo of MassLive was the first on the recall of Luis Guerrero. While Eaton isn't the position player Red Sox fans were hoping to seen selected, the 28-year-old utility man can play all three outfield positions, as well as the hot corner, and has a 116 wRC+ in 225 plate appearances at Triple-A Worchester. He's had two stints in the big-leagues with the Kansas City Royals with a career slash line of .201/.266./.283 with one home run and 14 stolen bases. The Red Sox signed him to a minor league deal this offseason. Guerrero, who has pitched 5 1/3 innings this season for the Red Sox, is being recalled after a short stint in Triple-A Worcester. In fact, adding him to the roster today would require the Red Sox to make a corresponding injured list move as it's within the 10 days of being demoted. Guerrero struggled a bit in 20 1/3 Triple-A innings, but otherwise has looked deserving of bigger role with the Red Sox. Albeit a small sample, Guerrero has a 0.59 ERA, 2.42 FIP, and a 14.0% K-BB rate in 15 1/3 career big-league innings. UPDATE: RHP Justin Slaten has been placed on the IL. View full rumor

Sean McAdam of MassLive is reporting that Rafael Devers considered asking for a trade shortly after the Boston Red Sox signed third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal. Ultimately, it's unknown if the request was formally ever made, but there has seemingly been some tension between Devers camp and Red Sox brass since Bregman joined the club. Initially, right as camp was getting underway, Devers was adamant that he would not be moving off the hot corner. Fortunately, he came out just a day or two ago and backed off those comments stating he'd do "whatever the Red Sox want [him] to do". Red Sox skipper Álex Cora hasn't announced any decisions on who will play wear and Bregman has been manning third baseman in spring training while Devers ramps up for the season. Prior to signing, Bregman had shared with teams that he was open to moving to second base. Moreover, many suspected that, if Bregman was added, Devers might shift to first and the Red Sox would look to move Tristan Casas. Alas, we are roughly two weeks away and all three players remain on the club while there haven't been any rumors to suggest what the Opening Day line up may look like. What does your Opening Day lineup look like? Where do Devers, Bregman, and Casas slot in? Join the conversation in the comments! View full rumor