Boston Red Sox fans need to get ready for another offseason that is trade-heavy. The team has a full 40-man roster, and a payroll nearing brushing up against the second luxury tax threshold (while that still exists). The only way to effectively clear it is by trading players.
Craig Breslow already got the wheeling and dealing started in his efforts to get the 40-man roster down to 40 players. Nate Eaton, Tsung-Che Cheng and Eduardo Rivera were all traded away to clear roster spots. Now Red Sox Nation needs to prepare itself for some more drastic trades, some that Breslow needs to start laying the groundwork for at the GM Meetings.
3 Red Sox trades Craig Breslow should set in motion at this week's GM Meetings
Clearing the outfield logjam
It's finally time. Breslow has kicked the can down the road long enough with this situation, and he finally needs to deal with it. He can do this in a variety of ways: selling low on Jarren Duran, selling high on Wilyer Abreu or Ceddanne Rafaela, or finding a package that includes a combination of the three.
The Red Sox can't go into 2027 with four starting outfielders and rotational players on the roster too. While the fan favorite is to rid the team of Duran, Breslow best opportunity to make a major splash may have to include one of the other two. Whatever he decides, that needs to be a priority at the GM meetings.
Acquiring one of the Mariners controllable starters
The Red Sox built their team on pitching and defense, and they shouldn't go away from that plan in 2027 just because they need to upgrade the offense. The Seattle Mariners have multiple starting pitchers with at least two years of team control that they are willing to listen on. Acquiring one to add to Garrett Crochet, Payton Tolle, and Ranger Suarez would be one of the best rotations in baseball.
The Mariners reportedly want to use one of their pitchers to find an impact bat for their lineup. Breslow could kill two birds with one stone by using one of the outfielders to give them just that. The Red Sox can't go into 2027 with the amount of uncertainty in the bottom two of the rotation they currently have, and getting one of the Mariners' starters would be an excellent long-term fix to that situation.
Selling Romy Gonzalez
Gonzalez was a key platoon/bench piece for Boston in the 2024-25 seasons. He was an above average hitter in both years, and really shined in 2025. He mostly played first and second base, but did see some time at third and shortstop as well.
Unfortunately, Gonzalez missed the first few months of 2026 and rushed back to try to help the team when they were struggling before the hot streak. He couldn't get going, ended up being optioned and not called back up. The Red Sox have found other utility pieces, and Gonzalez will still be highly valuable on the trade market.
Unlike other players they have flipped for low-level fliers they hope to develop, Gonzalez should be able to net a prospect in a team's 20-30 range. With a minor league option remaining, a two-WAR season in fewer than 100 games under his belt, and positional versatility, there should be a market for his services.
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