Much will have to go right for the next few months for the Boston Red Sox to be buyers at August's trade deadline. They've sat at or near the bottom of their division all season, but a solid turnaround could put them in a position to fight for a Wild Card spot in an underwhelming American League.
The same can't be said for the New York Mets, who have also floundered early this season. The Mets are one of the worst teams in the National League, at the bottom of their division with a record similar to the Colorado Rockies.
If the Mets want to save their season (in a way that isn't firing their manager, Carlos Mendoza), they have to make a trade to address their struggling offense. Mets insider Chelsea Janes of SNY has proposed a trade concept that could help both New York and Boston improve.
"There are several veterans around the sport who look uncomfortable with their current teams," Janes wrote. "Trevor Story is struggling, even as he is vocally frustrated with Red Sox management: Could the Mets pair a deal for him and his contract while grabbing an outfielder from Boston’s longstanding logjam?"
Mets insider proposes Red Sox-Trevor Story trade to land one of Boston's outfielders
If the Mets hope to save their season, and they attempt to do so at "any cost," they'll have to get creative
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 11, 2026
Could one option be targeting a veteran around the sport who looks uncomfortable with their current team? What about Trevor Story with the Red Sox?
SNY's Chelsea Janes… pic.twitter.com/KX898XqkMP
Janes' trade could help the Red Sox kill two birds with one stone: offload Story's ridiculous contract (which has been one of the worst in the AL, if not MLB as a whole, for quite some time), and free up the outfield logjam to potentially bring in a slugger elsewhere on the roster. Jarren Duran could be an easy change of scenery candidate.
While Roman Anthony is on the injured list, the Red Sox's outfield logjam is helping them. They still have four healthy outfielders at the ready on any given day. But Duran hasn't performed well enough to be considered a leader on the team in any capacity — he's slashing .194/.253/.324 over 35 games, all the while, Boston has been banking on him for offensive contributions that he hasn't been bringing. The Red Sox are seemingly still confident that he can be a top player in the AL, however, and maybe New York sees that.
As long as the Red Sox claim to be built on "run prevention," trading Wilyer Abreu or Ceddanne Rafaela should be out of the question (barring an insane trade return). Both have been among Boston's top contributors at the plate and their Gold Glove defense is critical in the outfield.
Story's struggles on both sides of the ball are well documented at this point, and a change of scenery could serve him well. He's slashing .200/.236/.284 over 38 games and shows no sign of trending up. HIs defense has also been the worst on the team, to the tune of five errors and 15th percentile range. Moving out of Boston, where Story has spent so much of his career injured and front office turmoil adversely affects the outcome on the field, could help him find his way again.
Many Boston fans would love to have longtime Met Francisco Lindor in their infield, but his $34 million-plus annual salary is too much for the Red Sox's front office. Brett Baty and Mark Vientos were floated as potential Red Sox trade candidates over the offseason, but neither meets the caliber of player Boston needs to save its season offensively.
Even if the biggest part Red Sox's return is the Mets eating Story's contract, they should seriously consider that deal. Moving him and his money could allow Boston to pursue the Ketel Marte or Isaac Paredes trade it considered over the offseason.
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