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Red Sox Predicted Deal Superstar Flamethrower at MLB Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nelson Hubbell | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 11:45 AM ET

The Boston Red Sox are now one of the hottest names in the MLB trade market after sending arguably one of the best hitters in baseball to the San Francisco Giants. By trading Rafael Devers, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer believes the team is signaling that they are also willing to sell more than Devers at the deadline.

That means a slew of players, particularly ones on short-term contracts, could be heading out the door.

"The guess here is the Red Sox are in for some short-term pain, which could facilitate the availability of Walker Buehler, Aroldis Chapman and maybe even controllable types like Wilyer Abreu," Rymer said.

Chapman is a prime trade piece for a team that is not expected to be in the playoff picture come October. His 1.50 ERA and fastball that has been consistently topping 100 miles per hour could bring tremendous value from contenders that are looking to make a World Series run this year.

The only downside for prospective teams: Chapman is on a one-year deal, making him a free agent in the offseason. But the motivation is there for Boston, who Ryman believes is in a situation where the playoffs are out of the question now that Devers is gone.

That makes it even more reasonable to send Chapman to a new club.

"As to their contention chances, well, it's a disaster. They subtracted their best hitter and didn't add much in the way of immediate impact, and you naturally have to wonder about whether the team will come to miss Devers' bat even if it doesn't miss his attitude," Ryman said.

With plenty of time left before the deadline, the Red Sox are primed to make more trades that lean into their youth movement.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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