Red Sox Insider Provides Discouraging Update On Dream Boston Trade Target

The Boston Red Sox would love a power-hitting right-handed first baseman, and the Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz has been a top target for the last few weeks.

Díaz has increased his power output in 2025, posting 18 home runs thus far, four short of his career-high. And the Rays are known for trading veterans away before they hit free agency, so moving Díaz with a year and a half of team control remaining would hardly be a surprise.

However, Tampa Bay is still relatively close to Boston in the Wild Card standings, though Boston leapfrogged them earlier this month and now lead them by 4 1/2 games. The Rays might also have some hesistations about sending Díaz elsewhere within the American League East.

With time running out before the deadline, it now looks like Boston's chances at landing Díaz have all but gone up in smoke.

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe posted on Bluesky that Boston acquiring Díaz was "extremely unlikely" as of early Thursday afternoon.

"For obvious reason, there's been a great deal of curiosity about Yandy Díaz as a Red Sox target - a reflection of the fact that Díaz is really good and the Sox' 1B/DH production is lacking," wrote Speier. "As best as I can tell, Díaz to the Sox is extremely unlikely for a few reasons:

"1) The Rays love Díaz and he's got multiple years left. 2) Rays would want impact, near big league-ready (or current big league) players back for him. A few weeks ago, Abreu (maybe Duran) fit that bill. But w/the Mayer injury and Rafaela getting time at 2B, the Sox no longer have OF surplus. 3) Even if the Rays dealt Díaz, they certainly wouldn't love to move him to a 2025 divisional/WC rival. Even as they work a buy-and-sell strategy, the Rays remain in it.

"None of that means 0%, but between those factors and the Sox' priority of pitching, a Díaz deal seems very unlikely.

Díaz would have been a perfect fit not only for this season, but for 2026 as well, with Triston Casas' recovery timetable uncertain. But Boston could pivot to the Baltimore Orioles' Ryan O'Hearn if they're willing to take on a rental who is more of a platoon slugger.

Update: Díaz has also left the Rays' game against the New York Yankees on Thursday to get X-rays on his forearm (per Jon Morosi of MLB Network), where he was hit with a pitch in the first inning.