Some Boston Red Sox fans were totally underwhelmed by the team acquiring Caleb Durbin on the morning of February 9, and it makes no sense. This deal was a huge win for Craig Breslow's front office.
Perhaps the poor fan reaction was simply due to the Patriots' Super Bowl stinker on Sunday night, about which Bostonians are feeling gloomy.
If you're among the depressed Pats fans looking for a reason to smile this week, here are three reasons why this Durbin trade was awesome for Boston.
3 reasons the Red Sox just won big with the Caleb Durbin trade
No more David Hamilton (and more Nick Sogard)
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Milwaukee Brewers are acquiring David Hamilton in the Durbin deal.
With all due respect to Hamilton, there are legions of Red Sox fans who have always wondered why he received as much playing time as he did. These same fans will be pleased to learn that Hamilton's tenure in Boston has come to an end.
Hamilton's departure should open up more opportunities for Nick Sogard to be used more heavily as a bench guy. Sogard is a better overall baseball player than Hamilton, so this will raise the floor of Boston's everyday roster. Now that they have Isiah Kiner-Falefa, as well, Hamilton is redundant anyway.
Durbin is really good
Now onto Durbin, who finished No. 3 in National League Rookie of the Year voting last season for a reason. Durbin was one of the most pleasant surprises for the Brewers during their wildly successful regular season. He blew all expectations out of the water and had plenty of clutch moments at the plate, showing that he's unafraid of the bright lights.
Durbin immediately became a fan favorite in Milwaukee, and everyone was talking all season long about how the New York Yankees lost the trade that gave them Devin Williams for Durbin. Have Red Sox fans forgotten all about this?
Better still, Durbin will be just 26 years old on Opening Day. He hasn't approached his ceiling, which, at minimum, is an everyday player and difference-maker for a contender.
Moreover, the best assets Breslow had to give up for Durbin were Hamilton (finally!) and a pitcher in Kyle Harrison who wasn't even a lock to be in the Red Sox's rotation moving forward (and who was already under immense pressure in Boston, anyway). Unless Harrison blossoms like Quinn Priester in Milwaukee, the Red Sox received the best player in this trade.
Durbin gives the Red Sox's culture exactly what it's been missing
At 5-foot-7, Durbin brings a psychological edge and underdog mentality to a clubhouse that's difficult to quantify. It's precisely the kind of attitude that the 2025 Brewers embodied and used to propel themselves to the top of the standings in MLB.
You might call this special quality of Durbin's "Pedroia-esque" in its nature. The Red Sox have plenty of young, blue-chip talent in guys like Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer, but what they could use more of is the kind of grit that only attaches itself to players who have been discounted and undervalued.
Durbin is the personification of this grit, having clawed tooth and nail from Division III college baseball to the heights of the majors, all in a short time span. Along the way, Durbin was undervalued by the Yankees and shipped off, something that he'll surely carry with him into the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry moving forward.
Yes, Breslow cooked with this trade, even if Red Sox fans aren't fully appreciating it at the moment. Durbin is going to be a huge hit and fan favorite in Boston. He's a perfect fit for the kind culture that has delivered titles to the Red Sox.