Red Sox Reportedly Interested In Trading Young, Fan-Favorite Outfielders

Boston is active in the trade market

Scott Neville | Dec 24, 2023

Red Sox Reportedly Interested In Trading Young, Fan-Favorite Outfielders /

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Could the Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's reported pursuit of one of the top sluggers on the free-agent market be a part of a multi-layered plan?

Directly after Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto came off the board, the Red Sox started to be heavily linked to outfielder Teoscar Hernández in somewhat of a strange pivot.

Their interest, however, makes a lot more sense after some context from The Boston Globe's Alex Speier on Sunday.

"The pursuit of Hernández reinforces the notion, expressed by multiple major league sources, that the Sox are actively exploring trade," Speier wrote. "Adding Hernández would make it easier to deal a young outfielder, whether in pursuit of controllable starting pitching or second base help -- a development that underscores the fact that the team is weighing multiple offseason paths as it tries to upgrade not just its rotation but other areas of the team."

Hernández hit .258 with 57 extra-base hits including 26 home runs, 93 RBIs and a .741 OPS in 160 games for the Seattle Mariners in what was his worst offensive season since his rookie year.

He'd be a strong addition to an outfield group that needed some restructuring. The bigger storyline, however, appears to be the next shoe that will drop should the Red Sox land Hernández.

Breslow has only made one free agent signing -- throwing a measly $1 million to right-hander Cooper Criswell -- but he's already made four trades. That trend appears to be far from over.

Who could Breslow consider moving? Outside of Masataka Yoshida and recently acquired Tyler O'Neill -- everyone would appear to be up for grabs.

Will Breslow sell high on Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu or Ceddane Rafaela? Could Rob Refsynder's team-friendly contract be of interest to opposing clubs?

Hernández would be a right-handed addition. If Breslow values balance, left-handed hitting Duran and Abreu could be safe. Those two represent high upside alongside Rafaela.

One of those three would have to be included if the Red Sox's trade pursuit involves a frontline starter -- Boston could attempt to shop Refsynder in search of a defensive-minded second baseman.

It would be a shame to watch Breslow move on from any of the three players who appear to be on the verge of breaking out -- especially Duran, who started to show how much of an impact he can make in Boston.

Such a move would be unnecessary if Red Sox ownership would start to open up their wallets.

More MLB: Rumored Red Sox Top Target Reportedly 'Too Expensive' For Boston In Surprise News

Published Dec 24, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu