The Boston Red Sox are still without an infielder to complete their roster in the wake of Alex Bregman's departure to the Chicago Cubs. Since his signing, many other infield free agents or trade candidates have become the apple of Boston's eye.
Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes has been one of the most popular trade candidates in January (subscription required). He bats right-handed and his tendency to pull the ball has Sox fans dreaming about the damage he could do in front of the Green Monster.
Paredes isn't a good defender, which Boston is prioritizing in its search for an infielder. But with an offensive fit so perfect and the list of other available options so short, you'd think the Red Sox would've pushed hard to get a deal done by now.
According to Red Sox insider Ari Alexander of WHDH 7News, a matchup between Boston and Houston, which has a surplus of infielders and needs outfield help, is harder than it seems. Alexander doesn't believe the two sides' desires align — Jarren Duran is too valuable to pull off a 1-for-1 swap for Paredes, the Astros have more than enough pitching depth that they don't need much of anything the Sox have to offer, and Houston's top prospect Brice Matthews would be blocked by Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer on Boston's roster.
Red Sox insider Ari Alexander doesn't believe Red Sox and Astros 'line up' for an Isaac Paredes trade
Not only is Duran too valuable to make a swap with the Astros easy, the Red Sox have shown over multiple seasons that they're not eager to part with him. Duran has garnered trade interest from multiple clubs over the last couple of years (the San Diego Padres were the most aggressive in their pursuit), but Boston seemingly never came close to moving him despite the roster crowding in its outfield.
During an appearance on the "Crush City Territory" podcast, Astros beat reporter Chandler Rome of The Athletic mentioned that Houston may prefer Wilyer Abreu to Duran in a potential trade. Abreu is a former Astros prospect who came to Boston in the 2022 Christian Vázquez trade, so they know him quite well. But he's a two-time Gold Glove award winner, he hit the second-most home runs in the Sox's lineup last season and the team has already expressed new goals for his offense in 2025, such as increased at-bats against lefties. The Red Sox clearly see Abreu as a fixture in their upcoming roster, so his trade price definitely won't be cheap.
Alexander said there's still a path to a trade between the Astros and Red Sox this winter, but both sides will have to do a lot of roster maneuvering to make it work. As the weekslong negotiations between the two teams show, they can't meet each other's needs easily, limiting the possibility of a trade.