The Boston Red Sox have added two starting pitchers to their 2026 squad via the trade market before the Winter Meetings. Adding Johan Oviedo and Sonny Gray has bolstered the starting pitching depth, and some reporters and fans have theorized that the Red Sox could trade some of their younger pitching depth for the top-of-the-rotation starter Craig Breslow said he covets.
The Red Sox have been linked to many of the top-tier starters on both the free agent and trade markets, and those links may not stop despite their heap of depth. Boston had been linked to Cincinnati Reds ace Hunter Greene earlier in the offseason and it could still trade for him — not only does it have a pitching surplus, the outfield is still jammed after trading Jhostynxon Garcia.
In MLB insider Jim Bowden's Winter Meetings wish list, he said he'd like to see the Sox trade for Greene (among many other moves, including some that are way too favorable to the Yankees). Bowden believes a trade package of Jarren Duran, Payton Tolle and pitching prospect Jedixson Paez could entice the Reds into a deal (subscription required).
The Reds' front office has shared that Greene isn't on the trade block this offseason, but many insiders still include him on the trade block. Greene would become the obvious No. 2 in the Sox's rotation, followed by Gray. He's posted a 3.65 ERA and a 1.140 WHIP over his four-year career. In 2025, he clocked a 2.76 ERA, 0.938 WHIP, 166 ERA+, 132 strikeouts and 26 walks over 107.2 innings. His chase, whiff and strikeout percentages all ranked in the 89th percentile or higher and his walk percentage landed in the 82nd percentile.
MLB insider's proposed Red Sox-Reds trade swaps Jarren Duran, Payton Tolle and a pitching prospect for Hunter Greene
Greene has only pitched anything close to a full season of work once in his career, in 2024. He logged 150 innings across 26 starts that year and earned his first All-Star nomination. He's frequently injured, and he doesn't pitch ace-level innings. Adding Paez (who has only reached High-A) to a trade package for Greene could be considered an overpay, but his stuff and the four years remaining on his contract are worth it.
The Red Sox have added so much pitching depth in the first two years of Breslow's tenure as CBO that trading Tolle wouldn't be much to them. The massive lefty also carries massive upside, which is something for Boston to consider when constructing any further trades this offseason, but it takes talent to bring talent in.
Boston's outfield is overloaded with talent that demands everyday playing time, and the Reds could use the speed Duran brings. He and Elly De La Cruz would be a deadly duo at the top of their order and Duran would represent an upgrade over TJ Friedl, Gavin Lux and Spencer Steer in the outfield, as he's flashed excellent defense in the past.
The Red Sox may not be in the market to add another starter after their first two moves this offseason, but if they seek a long-term answer as their No. 2, Greene is a great option — and he would meet the big expectations Breslow set for his pitching acquisitions this winter. Boston may opt to take its excess of pitching depth to the trade market for a bat instead.