The 2025 All-Star break is in the rearview mirror, the second half of the season has begun and the trade deadline fast approaches. After a scorching 10-game winning streak going into the break, the Boston Red Sox have firmly cemented themselves as buyers.
The Red Sox will have to make some difficult decisions to accommodate new talent. Not only must they determine tradable assets, but they'll have to open roster spots for the reinforcements they get.
These three players may either become trade fodder or roster casualties to accommodate Boston's trade deadline additions.
3 players facing their last chance with Red Sox heading out of the All-Star break
Abraham Toro
Much like Dominic Smith, the interim first baseman who preceded him, Abraham Toro quickly endeared himself to Red Sox fans. He got off to an excellent start with Boston, and batted .308/.342/.523 through June 17. He even made some impressive grabs at first base, where he'd had little experience before he was called up by the Red Sox.
But Toro has seriously slowed down at the plate in recent weeks. He's batting .238/.314/.352 in his last 30 games, and his regression has gone mostly under the radar, in the shadow of Ceddanne Rafaela and Romy Gonzalez's dominance.
Toro's offensive decline could make him an easy candidate to be moved off the roster to make room for trade deadline additions. His early torrid streak could also make him a trade candidate to a team in need of a backup first baseman, but Toro is a career .226/.289/.361 hitter over 471 games in the big leagues, which could outweigh the success.
David Hamilton
David Hamilton was on Boston's active roster from Opening Day to July 11, and he struggled the entire time. The infielder is batting .179/.229/.276 over 52 appearances, although he does have three clutch homers on his stat sheet. Hamilton has cleaned up his defense since his disastrous stint at second base and shortstop last year, during which he registered 10 errors.
Hamilton is slashing .167/.250/.500 in five games since his demotion to the minor leagues, and the Red Sox can only justify keeping him on the 40-man roster so much longer. His speed and improved defense could make him a potential trade chip for a team looking for a jolt on the base paths.
Connor Wong
Connor Wong posted a breakout season in 2024, but quickly regressed in 2025. The 29-year-old backstop started the season as the Sox's primary catcher, but lost his job to standout rookie Carlos Narváez after a brief stint on the injured list.
Wong is batting .149/.235/.149 over 34 games. He doesn't have a single extra-base hit on the year, and has logged just one RBI. Some elements of his defense have improved since last year — he was a ninth-percentile framer last year, but is up to the 63rd percentile this year.
The Red Sox may have recently foreshadowed a plan to demote Wong to Triple-A or find another backup catcher. Boston traded Blake Sabol to the White Sox for cash considerations, dropping one backup catcher from their ranks and opening a roster spot at a lower level. Wong could be destined for the minor leagues if he doesn't pick up his offensive pace early in the second half.