MLB Network analyst wonders which Red Sox outfielder will be traded in offseason

The logjam in Boston’s outfield survived the trade deadline and will continue (hopefully) into the postseason. With Wilyer Abreu currently on the injured list and Jhostynxon Garcia sent back down after a week of big league action, the MLB roster is carrying five outfielders.

There’s been speculation for much of the season that Jarren Duran will ultimately be the odd man out, with a trade shipping him off to San Diego or elsewhere, but the deadline passed and the Sox didn't move anybody.

Flashy and exciting, Duran is a clubhouse presence unlike any other. His inside-the-park home run against the Pirates illustrates the outfielder’s value in all its glory.

But his numbers have regressed across the board this season after an All-Star worthy showing in 2024. Hitting .285 and racking up 8.7 bWAR last year, he led the league in doubles, triples, and even plate appearances across 160 games.

Duran remains a high value trade chip, but on a recent MLB Network appearance, Mark DeRosa highlighted the electrifying play of a different outfielder, perhaps adding a new name to the trade bait conversation.

Mark DeRosa interviews and gushes over Red Sox slugger Wilyer Abreu

In late August, Wilyer Abreu and Carlos Narváez made an appearance on MLB Network, and the conversation quickly focused on Alex Cora and the environment within the clubhouse. DeRosa eventually brought up a unique connection he has with the Boston skipper, noting that Abreu is frequently a point of conversation between the two. “I’ve known Alex a long time… he sneaky texts me about you more than any other guy on the team,” DeRosa offered.

Abreu is currently on the 10-day IL, and his status remains somewhat murky. Even so, he’s tearing it up this year. Over 108 games Abreu has accumulated 3.4 bWAR (equaling his Gold Glove-winning 2024 campaign figure) while sending 22 deep balls into the stands and drawing just one fewer walk than last season while cutting down his strikeout numbers. He’s also leading the AL in total fielding runs above average (21 compared to his MLB-leading 16 in right field last year). It’s safe to assume that Abreu’s value is sky high both internally and as a potential trade chip.

Perhaps the name fans most want to see removed from the active roster in a deal with another team is Masataka Yoshida. He has picked up the glove just four times this season, accumulating 24 innings of work in left field (compared to around 30 starts at DH). He’s hitting .242/.295/.358 with 20 strikeouts and 43 total bases (with two home runs). Yoshida is a quality hitter, to be sure, but his place in the Boston lineup has been consistently squeezed on all sides. A trade involving him would almost certainly come as a partial salary dump rather than an exchange of value, and teams like Atlanta, the New York Mets, the Phillies, or Toronto might be in the market for a utility DH/outfielder that can potentially play first base on occasion while hitting for contact. The Sox would have to eat plenty of his contract to move him, so it could make for an inexpensive addition for a team in need.

Duran is obviously a name that’s floating around, but his speculative presence on the trade market has to be weighed against the value that might be returned from shopping Abreu instead. Abreu has more controllable time left (becoming a free agent in 2030 versus Duran’s 2029 FA year). He’s also making significantly less money for the time being while also two years younger than Duran. One was an All-Star in 2024, the other a Gold Glover.

Unless Garcia and Yoshida end up drawing interest and moving (alongside a platoon approach in the grass with four primary outfielders), one of these two likely won’t be with the team come spring training.