Entering the season, a trio of top Boston Red Sox prospects figured to be prominent contributors as the team looked to compete while also building for the future. In reality, their performances have been mixed. Roman Anthony has looked very promising, but Marcelo Mayer struggled before hitting the injured list with a wrist injury.
Perhaps the one Boston was counting on the most has been the greatest disappointment. Kristian Campbell got the first crack at big league playing time and was quickly rewarded with an eight-year extension. He was unceremoniously demoted to Triple-A Worcester following the Rafael Devers trade.
The Red Sox's recent move up the standings has put them more in the buyers' camp than the sellers' contingent, but there are still reasons why they can look to do a little bit of both as the trade deadline approaches. To that end, there are now some rumblings that the Sox could break up their Big Three triumvirate, with Campbell the most likely to be on the move.
That doesn't mean the Red Sox will give him away for pennies on the dollar, however. Recent struggles aside, Campbell is still a top talent signed to an incredibly team-friendly extension and should only be swapped for a high-impact, long-term piece that better fits Boston's needs. With that in mind, here are three ways the Red Sox could flip the youngster into an asset that better fits the club now and in the future.
3 Kristian Campbell trades the Red Sox can make before the 2025 trade deadline
The Red Sox could deal Campbell for a controllable frontline starter
The Sox have AL Cy Young candidate Garrett Crochet locked up long-term, but he desperately needs a running mate at the top of the rotation. With Campbell's talent and affordable contract, it might be wise to swap him for a No. 2 starter who can form a dominant one-two punch atop the Red Sox rotation for the foreseeable future.
Paul Skenes would be a pipedream, and while Campbell would be a great headliner for a package to return the Pirates' ace, it would take much, much more. A more realistic target would be Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins. Ryan has been linked to the Red Sox, but with team control through 2027, he'll only be moved if the Twins are blown away by an offer. That will take more than Campbell alone, but there's a pathway for a package with him as the headliner, and a swap might be in both teams' best interests.
The Red Sox could use Campbell to remake their bullpen
The Red Sox need bullpen help as it is, and there is also some logic to moving on from 37-year-old Aroldis Chapman at the deadline, despite the closer's dominance. That would open yet another hole in what has been a porous unit at times, therefore requiring multiple arms in Boston's return.
There are a couple of teams that have multiple stellar back-end bullpen arms on the block. For one, the Sox could strike a different Campbell deal with the Twins, targeting both Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. Both high-octane hurlers come with two and a half years of team control remaining, making them attractive options for a Campbell-led package. Another option would be the Pirates' duo of David Bednar and Dennis Santana, though those two are both free agents after next season.
The Red Sox could flip Campbell for a young position player who better suits their needs
One of the issues the Red Sox have is the glut of players at the middle infield and outfield positions, while having no clear answer at first base. In order to resolve that, the team might look to other clubs that have asset imbalances and propose a swap of youngsters.
One team that would make sense to call up would be the Athletics. With Brent Rooker locked up long-term, the A's have had to undergo an awkward balancing act between the veteran slugger and young infielders Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom as all three try to find at-bats between first base, DH, and the outfield. Rookier is pretty much a DH-only player, and both Kurtz and Soderstrom profile best defensively at first base. Meanwhile, a true left fielder or a second baseman would do wonders for the A's, who don't currently have an ideal long-term answer on their big league roster.
Campbell then fits the bill for the Athletics, and one of Kurtz or Soderstrom would do wonders at first base with Boston. A one-for-one swap for Kurtz might be a stretch, who rebounded after a slow start and currently owns a .305/.378/.671 line, but Soderstrom straight up for Campbell could work. In that case, the Red Sox would be getting a 23-year-old first baseman with 19 homers and a .779 OPS, finally filling the void left by Triston Casas' injury.
The A's might not actively be shopping these players, but the fit makes sense and it wouldn't hurt to ask.