The Boston Red Sox have more left-handed hitters than they know what to do with, and even more on their way to the big leagues from the farm system.
The Red Sox may trade some of their lefties to make room for right-handed hitters or to get quality starting pitching for next season. Outfielder Wilyer Abreu has been floated as a potential trade option. His Gold Glove-nominated rookie season could fetch Boston a nice return
The 25-year-old Abreu slashed .253/.322/.459 with a .781 OPS, 33 doubles, two triples and 15 homers over 132 games. He clocked seven outs above average while playing half of his games in the hardest right field in MLB, which has earned Abreu a worthy spot in the American League Rookie of the Year conversation.
The outfielder is under team control until 2029, and any club looking to upgrade its outfield or add a lefty hitter could be in the mix for a trade. Here are some of the best options for Abreu and for the Red Sox.
4 trade destinations for Wilyer Abreu if Red Sox look to clear outfield
Kansas City Royals
The Royals' outfield wasn't impressive offensively in 2024. Their right fielders posted a .665 OPS this season, the fifth-lowest in MLB for that position. Abreu's .781 OPS could help elevate Kansas City's lackluster offense and bring quality defense to right field in exchange for a member of their pitching staff like Brady Singer. A trade for Singer would demand more than just Abreu from the Sox, though — they have plenty of lefty-hitting prospects they could include.
Chicago White Sox
Boston's front office has mentioned rotation reinforcements as a top priority this offseason and MLB insider Jon Heyman said he could see the Red Sox landing young ace Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. Abreu could be a perfect piece in that trade, as Chicago desperately needs outfielders — only two of the club's top 20 prospects are outfielders and they're both a solid few seasons away from the big leagues. Abreu could be the centerpiece of a trade package that sends Crochet to Boston.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners boast an elite rotation and their bats just don't match up. Seattle's league-worst 1,625 strikeouts canceled out its league-lowest starter ERA of 3.38. Abreu and a few other Sox players could help remedy that in exchange for one of their starters, like Logan Gilbert. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said before the end of the season that the organization has no plans to deal from its rotation, but maybe they could be enticed into a deal that includes a Gold Glove nominee.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Paul Skenes' arrival to the big leagues and a 76-86 record in 2024 suggest the Pirates are close to contention in the National League Central. Pittsburgh never makes big moves in free agency though, and most of its changes will come through trades before next year. The Pirates have mostly righty bats in their lineup, and Joshua Palacios and Bryan De La Cruz struggled to contribute at the plate. Abreu could boost their offense and defense as part of a package in exchange for top pitching prospect Braxton Ashcraft, who posted a 2.84 ERA across Double and Triple-A this season. Ashcraft ranks at No. 85 in MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects and is expected to be MLB ready in 2025, but he's injury prone.