The Boston Red Sox find themselves in the midst of one of the most interesting trade deadline conversations of the 2026 season. The team has mostly underwhelmed and sits near the bottom of the American League, but within reach of a Wild Card spot with a timely hot streak.
Craig Breslow went through the offseason focusing on pitching and defense, and was successful in rehabbing those facets of the team. Unfortunately, that came at the cost of the offense, which has been one of the worst in MLB this year.Â
That's what creates the interesting situation — they may just need a bat or two to fix things and pull themselves into the playoff picture. They aren't in a position to look for rentals, though. This obviously isn't going to be the season they go on a deep playoff run, so Breslow should be looking for team control. Breslow also needs to be realistic and understand that players who aren't under contract past the 2026 season should be shipped out to help rebuild a farm system that took some hits over the offseason.Â
A hybrid buy/sell approach has been pitched to Red Sox Nation in the past. Chaim Bloom attempted to do so at the 2022 deadline, when he sent out Christian Vázquez and brought in Reese McGuire, Tommy Pham, and Eric Hosmer. That was a failure. Bloom didn't get under the luxury tax, and ultimately wounded the team more than he helped it. This season, Breslow may be in a much better spot to try that approach.
Craig Breslow has the pieces and the timing to make a hybrid approach work for Red Sox
The Sox have a few vets that could get a solid haul of prospects. Sonny Gray is only under contract through the end of the season. Aroldis Chapman could net the Red Sox a haul, and Jarren Duran’s potential could still earn a solid return. This team has a chance to be serious contenders in 2027, though, and Breslow needs to decide who should be around to be part of that push.
Not being that far away from the playoffs means that players who help in the near future shouldn't be off the table. If a player with more than a year of control is on the table, and they could be a serious upgrade to the team, there should be a serious conversation about acquiring that player.Â
Players like Zach Neto or Casey Schmidt, who have multiple years of control, should be players Breslow is calling about. They need to avoid outfielders, and the pitching staff shouldn't be an area of concern unless an ace-level pitcher becomes available. Neto and Schmidt are infielders, the biggest area of concern for Boston.
The Red Sox opened a contention window last year when they signed Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony to long-term deals. They have a young and emerging team that they can't waste. This isn't the time to tear down the major league roster and reset. Buying a player who can help next year or the year after shouldn't be off the table.Â
Breslow and the front office need to be realistic about this season. Recent quotes from Sam Kennedy sound like they might be doing just that. They also need to keep in mind that this team might not be far away, and this trade deadline will be a pivotal one in the direction of the franchise's future success. A buy/sell approach might be the correct move this year, as long as they execute it the right way.Â
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