It's exceedingly rare for an MLB team to have too much talent, but the Boston Red Sox qualify given their collection of stars in the outfield.
Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are a pair of young, cost-controlled Gold Glovers in center and right field, and Roman Anthony burst onto the scene with so much flair as a rookie that he received a nine-figure extension. Then, of course, you have Jarren Duran, a 2024 All-Star and MVP candidate who can capably play all three outfield positions.
A trade of at least one of them has been expected for quite some time, and yet, the Red Sox continue to plow ahead this offseason with the entire quartet intact. They've held firm on their trade values for Duran and Abreu especially, and as each week passes, it's beginning to look more and more likely that all four outfielders will be on the Opening Day roster.
At least, that's what Bleacher Report's Opening Day roster predictions foresee.
Can Red Sox keep improving without trading a starting outfielder?
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter predicts that Duran will start at designated hitter, enabling Alex Cora to plot a lineup that features him, Anthony, and Willson Contreras in the top three spots on the daily.
That's a really solid core to build the offense around, especially if Duran can turn in a season closer to his 2024 performance (131 wRC+) rather than his effort last year (111 wRC+). And for those questioning the wisdom behind rostering four starting-caliber outfielders, just look at how the Chicago Cubs managed their group last year, playing Ian Happ (left field), Pete Crow-Armstrong (center), and Kyle Tucker (right) on a daily basis while rotation Seiya Suzuki in at the corners when he wasn't serving as the designated hitter.
Now, there's still plenty of logic in trading one of Abreu or Duran if the right deal comes along, particularly for a high-quality starting pitcher. Unlike everyone on the Cubs besides PCA, the Red Sox's outfielders are young and have years of team control remaining, giving them exceptional value on the trade market.
However, the Red Sox have been just fine navigating this offseason without dealing from their star foursome. They already alleviated a marginal piece of the logjam when they sent Jhostynxon Garcia to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Johan Oviedo trade, and they've been more keen on sending out pitching depth rather than position players in their various trades.
Keeping all four could cause some playing time headaches, particularly if Duran fancies himself as more than just a rotational outfielder. There is the nuclear option to consider in that case, in which the team moves Marcelo Mayer over to third base (assuming Alex Bregman doesn't re-sign) and plays Rafaela at second base on a more-frequent basis. For very obvious reasons, though, that should be the last resort's last resort.
It may take some deft personality management by Cora, but as the Red Sox continue to balk at all proposed offers for their outfielders, it's looking likelier and likelier that Duran, Anthony, Abreu, and Rafaela will all be on the roster come Opening Day.