Jun 17, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) during the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Red Sox-Isaac Paredes Update Gives Boston Fans Hope

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Jan 25, 2026 12:27 PM ET

It's no secret that the Boston Red Sox have been linked to a handful of players in trade rumors over the last few weeks since losing Alex Bregman and signing Ranger Suárez.

Names that have been out there have been Houston Astros slugger Isaac Paredes, Chicago Cubs Gold Glove Award winner Nico Hoerner, St. Louis Cardinals All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan and free agent slugger Eugenio Suárez. None of the four are perfect fits, but with Spring Training just weeks away, it's going to be hard to find someone who checks every box at this point.

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Paredes and Suárez are guys that could bring serious power to the table, but aren't great defensively. Hoerner is an elite defensive player and gets on base, but it would cost a pretty penny prospect-wise to bring him to town for just one season before free agency. Donovan also would cost a lot and is a left-handed bat, which Boston already has a lot of.

The Red Sox are still looking for more

There aren't any perfect options, but Paredes arguably is the closest. He's a 26-year-old slugger with 30-plus home run pop and can play any position in the infield. In 2025, he had -3 outs above average, which isn't great. But he had six outs above average in 2022, zero outs above average in 2023 and -1 outs above average in 2024. He's young and has shown that he can play defense at points in his career so far. But, there isn't anything close. The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported that "no deal is believed to be close."

"The Boston Red Sox are among multiple teams interested in Paredes, according to multiple league sources. No deal is believed to be close — and [Dana Brown] did not address Paredes’ availability on Saturday — but Brown’s desire for balance only amplifies a potential fit between Boston and Houston."

Paredes also has two seasons of control left, unlike Hoerner. If the Red Sox are going to add another slugger, there may not be a better option at this point.

The fact that there isn't anything reportedly close isn't the exact type of news the fanbase likely wants to hear, but there are still a couple of weeks left until Spring Training. The fact that Rome noted that Brown's "desire" for a balanced lineup "amplifies" a potential fit at least makes things interesting. The Astros are very righty-heavy. The Red Sox have a surplus of left-handed bats. Hopefully, Boston can get some sort of deal for someone over the finish line.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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