Red Sox Could Be Potential Trade Destination For $53 Million Flamethrower

The Boston Red Sox made a major move for their starting rotation last winter by acquiring left-hander Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. They also locked him down to a six-year, $170 million extension in April.

Crochet immediately became Boston’s ace, posting an 18-5 record with a 2.59 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 255 strikeouts in 205.1 innings. He also shoved in his lone postseason start against the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series. The southpaw allowed just one run on four hits, no walks, and 11 strikeouts in 7.2 frames.

Now that the Red Sox are preparing for 2026, could they use the trade market to once again acquire a frontline starting pitcher?

MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon noted that hard-throwing right-hander Hunter Greene could be a potential trade chip for the Cincinnati Reds this winter as they search for more offense. If a deal happens, though, Sheldon said the Reds would want MLB talent in return, not a package of prospects.

Could The Red Sox Be A Potential Landing Spot for Hunter Greene?

While Boston has holes to fill on offense, it still seems like president of baseball operations Craig Breslow will be on the hunt for more pitching.

“Every team gets better if you can bring in a starter or develop a starting pitcher who can pitch at Garrett Crochet’s level,” Breslow said when discussing the club’s offseason plans, via The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey. “We will be as aggressive as we can when trying to chase that down while also ensuring we are doing everything we can to develop our players internally.”

Although Greene hasn’t pitched more than 150.1 innings in a season and was limited to 107.2 frames in 2025, he has the potential to be part of a great one-two punch with Crochet.

Greene has racked up 258 innings since the start of 2024. During that time, he’s posted a 16-9 record with a 2.76 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 301 strikeouts. He also consistently runs his fastball up near triple digits, averaging 99.4 mph in 2025.

If Boston were to be active on the trade market, Breslow would probably offer some outfielders to make any potential swap happen. Foul Territory TV’s Robbie Hyde thinks Greene would be a fit for the Sox.

“Speculation is swirling that maybe the Reds could have Hunter Greene on the table this offseason,” he wrote in a post on X. “If this is the case, the Red Sox make a ton of sense. Reds need bats, and the Red Sox could center a package around [Jaren] Duran/Wilyer [Abreu]. Would also clear $ for CIN in FA to get another bat.”

The 2026 season will be Greene’s third of a six-year, $53 million extension. He’ll make $8.3 million next year, followed by $15.3 million in 2027 and $16.3 million in 2028. His deal also includes a $21 million club option for 2029, per Spotrac.