The Red Sox are in a precarious position, with a disappointing 23-31 record that has them at the bottom of the AL East. Despite their recent win over the Braves, the team's performance has been underwhelming, and they are in dire need of a turnaround. With a scarcity of strong teams in the American League, every club remains within striking distance of a Wild Card spot, but the Red Sox are aware that their current 69-win pace is not enough to avoid a sell-off in the coming months. The front office has already made changes, firing Alex Cora and replacing him with Chad Tracy, and overhauling the hitting coach group in an effort to improve the underperforming lineup.
The Red Sox's struggles are evident in their statistics. They were 11th in the AL in scoring and had the lowest OPS (.667) when Cora and the hitting coaches were fired on April 25. While they have improved to sixth in the Junior Circuit in OPS since then, they are still second from the bottom in runs scored, only better than the Detroit team. The loss of Roman Anthony, who was already struggling before a wrist sprain, has not helped, and the infield has contributed almost nothing offensively, aside from Willson Contreras.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acknowledged the team's need for improvement, stating that they have been aggressive in identifying players who can help them. He noted that the league is compressed, with several teams in contention despite poor performance, and that other teams are also looking to move players. Breslow confirmed that the Red Sox are not interested in selling off any veteran pieces early in the season, focusing instead on turning their season around.
The Red Sox have some big names that could be dangled on the trade front if their performance does not improve. Sonny Gray, who will be a free agent when his 2027 mutual option is declined, is one such player. The team would need to cover a portion of the $10MM buyout if they trade him. Additionally, Aroldis Chapman, the second-best reliever in MLB after Mason Miller, has a $13MM option for next year that will vest once he reaches 40 innings on the season.
Breslow's front office is looking for ways to inject life into the offense, ideally by acquiring a right-handed bat. They could upgrade the middle infield duo of Marcelo Mayer and Trevor Story, who is currently injured. Caleb Durbin, an offseason trade pickup, has hit poorly and is losing playing time at third base to Nick Sogard and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Durbin still has a couple of minor league options remaining and might need a reset at Triple-A.
The trade market is unlikely to yield significant pieces this early in the season. The Giants could shop Luis Arraez, who is holding his own defensively in a move back to second base, but San Francisco has already traded Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey. CJ Abrams would be a prize for the infield trade market, but the Nationals are unlikely to move him while they are above .500. The Twins have optioned Royce Lewis to Triple-A, and the Mets' Brett Baty and Mark Vientos are no strangers to trade rumors. New York would likely have a high ask for the lefty-hitting Baty, and Vientos, who hits right-handed, would be a tough fit for Boston unless they move away from their focus on infield defense and install him at third base.
