Trade rumors followed longtime Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. for multiple offseasons running, but something always prevented a deal from going through. On January 20, the New York Mets finally met Chicago's price.
The Mets traded for the veteran outfielder Robert in exchange for infielder Luisangel Acuña (brother of Ronald Acuña Jr.) and righty pitching prospect Truman Pauley. New York has recently acquired a glut of infielders after its trade for Marcus Semien and signings of Jorge Polanco and Bo Bichette, and trading a young infielder to bolster its outfield depth is a sensible move.
The Boston Red Sox could use a big league-ready infielder and have outfielders to spare in a potential trade. They could've been a solid trade partner for New York, and mock packages between the two made the rounds on social media after its many infield moves.
Acuña, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos were floated as potential returns who could've slotted in to the Sox's infield. Vientos is a corner infielder, Acuña is a middle infielder (trading for him would've shifted Marcelo Mayer to third base) and Baty is a third and second baseman. None are exactly the type of player the Red Sox need, however — Alex Bregman has more experience than all of them, combined, and he's more well-rounded (subscription required).
Red Sox lose potential trade suitor in Mets after Luis Robert Jr. deal with White Sox
Still, Boston's list of potential trade partners is running thin. As spring training approaches, it'll only continue to shrink.
The Red Sox have checked in with the Arizona Diamondbacks about a trade for Ketel Marte and they've been named a potential fit for the Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner and for yet another St. Louis Cardinal, Brendan Donovan. Marte would be the best fit for Boston, since he's a second baseman and it hasn't held down a consistent one since Dustin Pedroia's season-ending injury in 2017, but the Diamondbacks have reportedly pulled him from the trade market to focus on their own offseason additions. There's also reportedly very little chance that the Cubs move Hoerner and Donovan bats left-handed, which wouldn't help balance Boston's lineup of mostly southpaws.
Eugenio Suárez is still available on the free agent market and the Houston Astros may be open to dealing Isaac Paredes, but their questionable defensive metrics from 2025 also don't align perfectly with the Red Sox's needs. The more infield options come off the board, the more it seems like Bregman or Marte were the only good choices for their infield vacancy.
If the Red Sox are seeking an infield addition from the trade market, they should act quickly. Potential trade partners are getting the players they need elsewhere and Boston is growing desperate, which never makes for an easy transaction.