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Predicting Red Sox’s next big trade before deadline

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Steve Silverman | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 6:04 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox have had a strange and disappointing first half of the season. After acquiring starting pitchers Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler in the offseason also with star 3rd baseman Alex Bregman before the start of spring training, it appeared the Red Sox might be in a position to challenged the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.

However, poor play and injuries have kept this team from playing consistently good baseball, and they find themselves in fourth place in the division with a 43-45 record. In some years, they would be buried and out of playoff contention, but that is not the case this year. They are one hot streak away from a spot in American League Wild Card structure, and there is nearly a half season left for manager Alex Cora’s team to fight.

So, as disappointing as things have been — recalcitrant All-Star Rafael Devers was traded to the San Francisco Giants when he refused to pick up a 1st baseman’s mitt and learn the position — the Red Sox are unlikely to be sellers at the trade deadline.

They could enhance their team by making trades that would upgrade their inconsistent offense and shoddy defense. They could also improve their starting pitching with the right move.

Perhaps the best move general manager Craig Breslow could make would be a trade involving last year’s All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Jarren Duran.

He is their most dynamic and explosive athlete, but Duran has not come close to producing at anywhere near the level that he did last season.

Red Sox have not gotten what they expected out of Duran

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) makes a pitching change during the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Duran is slashing .253/.312/.409 with 6 home runs and 39 runs batted in with 15 stolen bases in 20 attempts. These numbers are well below his figures from the 2024 season and he has struggled to make contact in key situations. Duran has struck out 97 times and has left too many runners on base in scoring situations.

He is one of the fastest players in the American League, but his performance on the bases has not been great. He has run into outs by trying to take extra bases and he has simply made too many mistakes.

The left fielder has also had an uneven year in the field. He appears to be more comfortable in centerfield, but that domain has belonged to Ceddanne Rafaela for the majority of the season. Duran seems to know how to play the ball when it comes off the Green Monster, but he has misplayed some relatively easy balls and he has turned outs into hits and runs for opponents.

Duran can trigger the Red Sox offense when he is at his best, but he has not reached that level this season. Additionally, the Red Sox appear to have a surplus of outfielders, and trading one of them seems to be the way for this team to go. Duran might bring more in a trade than any of the other candidates.

Red Sox could use a dependable starting pitcher

The addition of Crochet has given the Red Sox a dominant No. 1 pitcher, but the other starters have been inconsistent.

Buehler has not been the kind of starter he was when he was in top form with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While he has not been removed from the rotation, he is running out of time with 5-6 record and 6.45 earned run average. Lucas Giolito has been decent in his 11 starts with a 3.99 ERA and Brayan Bello appear to be getting better, but neither has been overly dependable.

Tanner Houck, an All-Star a year ago, struggled badly this season before going on the injured list.

A trade involving Duran could bring the Red Sox a dependable starting pitcher who could slot right in after Crochet.

An upgrade to the pitching staff along with the return of Bregman from his stint on the Injured List along with the development of talented young players Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer could allow the Red Sox to put up a legitimate fight for a Wild Card spot

Returning to the postseason might seem like a longshot at this point, but the American League does not appear to have a dominant team this year outside of the Detroit Tigers.

As poorly as the Red Sox have played, they are only six games behind the first-place Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, and it is possible to make up that kind of deficit.

Making the right trade could be the key to success during the season’s most important games.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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