The Boston Red Sox remain frustratingly inconsistent on offense, wanting for elite production from anyone not named Willson Contreras. Perhaps the eventual return of Roman Anthony would solve that issue, but he doesn't address what has become the team's most glaring roster hole: infield production.
Save for Contreras at first base, the Sox simply aren't getting anything out of their infielders this year. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.667 OPS), Andruw Monasterio (-0.3 fWAR), Marcelo Mayer (59 wRC+), and Caleb Durbin (.250 wOBA) have all left a lot to be desired, and that doesn't even mention the disaster-class Trevor Story was putting on prior to his hernia surgery.
With Triston Casas seemingly out of the picture for the foreseeable future, as well as Kristian Campbell's continued struggles in Triple-A, it's become apparent that the solution to this problem will have to come from outside the organization.
Luckily, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller may have identified the perfect low-risk, high-reward trade target to pique Craig Breslow's interest: former top Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza.
Oswald Peraza is a strong Red Sox trade target for present and future reasons
Peraza is long removed from his days as a consensus top-50 prospect; after flaming out in New York, he wound up with Los Angeles' lesser team last year, coming over as part of an ill-fated decision by the Angels to buy at the trade deadline.
While he did continue to struggle after the deal, he retooled his swing over the offseason and looks like a brand new player in 2026. The 25-year-old is hitting .278/.333/.461 through his first 200 trips to the plate this season, backing up a 121 wRC+ with a strong barrel rate. It's true that he remains impatient and doesn't work nearly enough walks, but you'd be kidding yourself if you said that the Red Sox wouldn't start an infielder with a .794 OPS on an everyday basis right now.
It also helps that Peraza is a strong baserunner and defender, the latter of which is particularly impressive considering he's played all four infield positions this year. Regardless of how the front office plans to handle Durbin and Mayer's future, Peraza could seamlessly fit anywhere on the dirt — and he's still got three years of team control remaining after this season, meaning he could become a part of those very future plans.
His youth and cheap contract may incentivize the Angels to hold onto him, but they're perpetually rebuilding and are always looking to sell high on breakout players. With a chance to upgrade their infield and stick it to the Yankees in the process, the Red Sox shouldn't hesitate to inquire about Peraza this summer.
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