Red Sox Could Include Young Superstar Outfielder In Winter Blockbuster, Per Insider

You've got to give up something good to get something good...

Worcester Red Sox player Roman Anthony stretches on the outfield grass at Polar Park prior to a game on Aug. 27. / WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK

One can never be sure of a blockbuster trade, but if you're ranking the 30 Major League Baseball teams by the probability of making one this winter, the Boston Red Sox must be high on the list.

Coming off an 81-81 season, it's playoffs or bust in Boston heading into 2025. And the Red Sox are in a peculiar situation, because from a raw talent perspective, the Boston roster might be just as loaded as some of the teams that went deep in this year's postseason. The issue is that it's lopsided.

The Red Sox have a remarkable surplus of young, talented, left-handed hitters. They could make an entire starting lineup of lefties aged 28 or younger with big-league-caliber talents. But they're short on righty power bats and starting pitching, both of which contributed heavily to their 2024 downfall.

So the formula exists for the Red Sox to pull off a big-time trade, but who would be moved? Insider Jen McCaffrey singled out young outfielders Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, and Roman Anthony as the most likely candidates to be dealt, most likely in exchange for an ace starting pitcher.

"If you’re looking for a blockbuster, in my mind, Abreu, Duran and Anthony have the highest trade value right now. Abreu and Duran are coming off strong seasons and have proven themselves in the majors, while Anthony has had two full seasons of impressive numbers in the minors and is now the No. 1 prospect in baseball at the age of 20, according to Baseball America," McCaffrey said.

"All three are the types of players teams should build around but if the Red Sox are going to trade for a top-line starter, I think one or two of those players would have to be included."

Abreu, 25, had a .781 OPS in 2024 as a rookie starter, and was recently named a finalist for a Gold Glove. He has a high floor, but easily the lowest ceiling of the three names McCaffrey listed, which would likely mean he nets the least talent in return.

Duran, 28, is the oldest of the group, but he just had an 8.7-WAR season as the Red Sox's All-Star leadoff hitter. His speed could diminish within the next few seasons due to his age, so though Duran has the most value to the Red Sox at the present, there's an argument to trade him while his stock is so high.

Anthony, 20, could be the best player on the team by 2026, but he's yet to make his big-league debut. Recently crowned as Baseball America's number-one overall prospect, the sky is the limit for Anthony as a two-way star, so moving him would be difficult to do. But the Red Sox have to be prepared to do difficult things.

There's no telling what could happen at this point in the offseason, but the fact that McCaffrey thinks any of the three could be moved is significant. The Red Sox seem to be prepared to make the big move for once, and if they could land the new face of their starting rotation for an outfielder they can replace internally, that could pay huge dividends.

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