Red Sox Blockbuster Trade Idea Would Land $46 Million Padres All-Star

Here's one way to fix the bullpen...

Feb 18, 2024; Peoria, AZ, USA; A general view of the San Diego Padres logo and clubhouse during a workout day at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images / Allan Henry-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox cannot afford to open the 2025 season without adding at least one more high-leverage reliever.

Cast your mind back to last summer. The Red Sox were right in the thick of the playoff hunt, but the bullpen began imploding right after the All-Star break. Countless blow-ups, from the 11th-inning loss in Colorado to the three-run ninth-inning collapse against the Texas Rangers, helped sink the season.

Though the Red Sox have some promising pieces in their projected 2025 bullpen, it's not enough to ensure that there won't be more collapses. And trading for a star closer may wind up being the Red Sox's best bet to fix the situation.

San Diego Padres All-Star Robert Suarez has been a frequently-discussed trade candidate in recent weeks, as he enters the final guaranteed year of his contract amid ownership control battles in San Diego.

On Monday, MassLive's Chris Cotillo named Suarez as an intriguing trade target for the Red Sox, who could stand to gain from Suarez's 100-mile-per-hour fastball and 37-save mark from 2024.

"The Red Sox can also attack the trade market for a highly paid reliever whose team might want to shed money by moving him," Cotillo wrote.

"(A deal) at a palatable price (a good chunk of money, but not a major prospect) for someone like San Diego’s Robert Suárez (owed $10 million in 2025 with a two-year player option)... could make sense as well."

The issue with trading for Suarez is that because he has a rare two-year player option (valued at $8 million per season), the Red Sox wouldn't know if they'd be getting him for one year or three. And because it's a player option, they'd likely either lose a great reliever after one year or have to keep a struggling one for three.

Regardless, Suarez is a great pitcher, and he might be more attainable via trade than pitchers of his caliber usually are if the Padres are desperate to unload salary. That could be a good recipe for Boston to drastically improve its outlook in 2025.

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