Despite the weird-turned-bad vibes following the Rafael Devers trade, the Boston Red Sox aren't dead yet. They're still in the American League wild card hunt and are within striking distance of the rival New York Yankees in the AL East as well. And with Craig Breslow all but promising the Red Sox will buy before the July 31 trade deadline, fans want improvements. Earlier this week, ESPN insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel offered a wide-ranging trade deadline preview with 50 players who could be dealt, seven of which had Boston listed as potential suitors.
Now, to be clear, the messaging for the Red Sox in this piece was mixed. Alex Bregman was ranked No. 1 among players who could potentially be moved, given a 10% chance to be traded. That seems unlikely as his return from a quad injury is the first thing Boston needs to right the ship in a post-Devers world. On top of that, though, the Red Sox do have some pieces, most notably Jarren Duran and Walker Buehler, who could still be moved even if they buy.
But in terms of that buying, the Red Sox are looking for ways they can upgrade serious holes in the roster. I was a bit surprised that Boston wasn't connected to a second catcher to push Connor Wong off the roster in the midst of an abysmal season, but alas, the targets all appear to be upgrading first base and starting pitching, save for one. These seven Red Sox trade targets aren't created equally, though, at least not in my eyes.
Because of that, I'm left with no choice but to rank them in order of how much the Red Sox and, just as importantly, fans should want Boston to acquire them at the trade deadline.
Note: A "+" in a projected price indicates more prospects or MLB talent beyond the headliner mentioned.
7. DH Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves
- 2025 Stats: .252/.385/.414/.798, 11 HR, 40 RBI
- Control Remaining: Free agent after 2025
- Potential Price: P Juan Valera (No. 17)
Point blank, I'm not sure what Marcell Ozuna does in terms of his fit on the Boston roster in order to improve the team, thus making him the proverbial worst trade target of the bunch. Make no mistake, Ozuna is a useful bat, even at this point in his career. Furthermore, his right-handed power could make some sense in terms of lineup construction. However, that's not the entirety of the picture.
Now in his late-30s, Ozuna is essentially a DH-only player. That wouldn't normally be an issue, but in the wake of the Devers trade, Boston is in a situation where they need more roster flexibility than they previously had. The impending return of Masataka Yoshida, who the Red Sox seem hesitant to play in the field as well, further complicates that matter. You could also argue that a Yoshida-Rob Refsnyder platoon might be more valuable to the Red Sox than just having Ozuna on the roster.
Put simply, Ozuna is going to help a team out, without question, if the Braves move him at the trade deadline. The Red Sox are just an unnatural fit for that given the current construction of the roster.
6. SP Tyler Mahle, Texas Rangers
- 2025 Stats: 6-3, 2.34 ERA, 1.130 WHIP, 3.35 FIP
- Control Remaining: Free agent after 2025
- Potential Price: OF Miguel Bleis (No. 13)
The Red Sox prioritized starting pitching depth this offseason and certainly have it. The issue that has arisen, however, is that they have a bonafide ace in Garrett Crochet, and then a bevy of arms that are either best served as a No. 4 or 5 starter or potentially being moved into the bullpen. Walker Buehler was supposed to be the theoretical No. 2 in the rotation, but he's been abysmal. So finding a No. 2 starter should be of the utmost importance, and Tyler Mahle could fit that bill.
After missing almost all of the past two seasons, Mahle has been gangbusters for the Rangers in 2025 with a sub-2.50 ERA through 14 starts and underlying numbers that, even if they call for regression, largely say that his overall success will sustain this season. The issue, however, is that the veteran right-hander is once again struggling with health, currently sitting on the 15-day IL.
For the Red Sox in dire need of that second reliable option the rotation, having an oft-injured arm like Mahle ultimately leaves too much to be desired for my taste. There's a chance he recovers from the shoulder ailment he's currently dealing with and continues to pitch well, but recent history says that this injury is anything but an outlier, and that's too risky of a proposition for the Red Sox to take on.
5. 1B Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles
- 2025 Stats: .304/.385/.489/.874, 11 HR, 30 RBI
- Control Remaining: Free agent after 2025
- Potential Price: P David Sandlin (No. 9) +
Perhaps the most heavily discussed trade target for the Red Sox comes from the division with Orioles first baseman and DH Ryan O'Hearn. The 31-year-old left-handed bat is having by far the best season of his career, with his best mark prior to this season in terms of OPS sitting at .801 in 2023, which he's currently 73 points above right now.
However, one of the most critical things to note when it comes to O'Hearn is that he's basically been asked to not hit in left-on-left matchups. He has 260 plate appearances this season and only 49 of those have come against lefties — and the numbers are staggeringly different with a .936 OPS against righties and a .606 OPS against lefties. All 11 of his homers have also come against right-handed pitching.
Alex Cora and the Red Sox have never shied away from using a platoon or playing the matchups, that's for sure. At the same time, when you combine the outlier nature of O'Hearn's 2025 breakout season with that, it makes him less desirable. I'd still prefer him to Ozuna or Mahle, but there are better options at first base, even if more costly, to try and fill that hole on the Boston roster.
4. SP Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks
- 2025 Stats: 7-3, 3.39 ERA, 1.054 WHIP, 3.32 FIP
- Control Remaining: Free agent after 2025
- Potential Price: IF Mikey Romero (No. 12)
With another Diamondback on this list, it's important to note that Arizona is in a middle ground right now. They are in the most competitive division in baseball, the NL West, and are currently sitting fourth in the division, which puts them outside the NL Wild Card picture as well. They've also been, no pun intended, snake-bitten this year when it comes to injury. There's a reason for them to hold onto their talent and make a second-half push, but there's also a case to sell some expiring assets and reset for the future. Merrill Kelly is one of those assets.
The 36-year-old is in the final year of his contract and has been performing like he still has plenty left in the tank. After a mediocre and injury-plagued 2024 season, he's bounce back into the same dominant form that we saw throughout the 2022 and 2023 campaigns for the right-hander. When you think of No. 2 options for the Red Sox, he could certainly fit the bill.
Beyond the question of if the D'Backs will even part with Kelly, though, the Red Sox have other things to consider. Both Buehler and Lucas Giolito are free agents after this season, which could lead to Boston searching for more than just a rental on the starting pitching market. If they do simply want to push for the playoffs this season, though, Kelly would be a great option to get that done.
3. SP Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
- 2025 Stats: 4-8, 6.69 ERA, 1.459 WHIP, 4.70 FIP
- Control Remaining: Club Option for 2027 ($21 million)
- Potential Price: IF Franklin Arias (No. 3), OF James Tibbs III (No. 6) +
Speaking of pitchers who would offer the Red Sox more years of control, Sandy Alcantara is atop that list. The former NL Cy Young winner returned this season to the Marlins after undergoing Tommy John surgery and, because we're talking about Miami, the conversation immediately became which teams would be interested in acquiring him. The Red Sox have been connected to those conversations since they began as well.
The problem with Alcantara at the trade deadline is that, point blank, his return from Tommy John hasn't been good at all. He's started to right the ship a bit, posting a 4.33 ERA and 1.259 WHIP over his last five starts, but even that is a far cry from the elite right-handed arm baseball fans grew accustomed to. Trading for him would be a gamble that he can reclaim that Cy Young-caliber form both to finish this season and for the next one-to-two years as well.
That's a lot to weigh, especially considering that the potential 2.5 years of control remaining on his deal will only increase the trade cost for a team like the Red Sox. At the same time, this could be a home-run swing for Boston if the gamble pays off for them, not just giving them the necessary No. 2 starter for the remainder of this season, but also pairing him with Crochet atop the rotation for at least next season as well.
2. 1B Josh Naylor, Arizona Diamondbacks
- 2025 Stats: .303/.358/.467/.824, 9 HR, 51 RBI
- Control Remaining: Free agent after 2025
- Potential Price: OF James Tibbs III (No. 6) +
Admittedly, I'm enamored with the ideal of filling the Red Sox void at first base with Josh Naylor. If we're talking about trade targets, he should be the No. 1 position player that Boston is targeting. Again, part of that potential hinges upon what Arizona ultimately decides to do in terms of direction at the deadline, but the overall upside of potentially adding Naylor to this lineup is hard to ignore given the year he's having.
Put simply, Naylor is putting the ball in play and getting on base at a level few players currently on the Red Sox roster are consistently. Once Bregman returns, pairing him and Naylor in the heart of the order could be dangerous. Much like O'Hearn, Naylor has heavy splits and has struggled at a least a bit against left-handed pitching, posting a .602 OPS in such situations this year. However, his bat is far more proven over the years overall and he too could be platooned with Romy Gonzalez or even Kristian Campbell at first base as well.
For an offense that leaves far too much meat on the bone too often, though, a player like Naylor fits the bill for what the offense has been missing consistent from the first base spot, which has become a largely offense-driven position. The cost, even for a rental, could be a bit high, but it would be worth it if the Red Sox are serious about a playoff push.
1. SP Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
- 2025 Stats: 8-4, 2.90 ERA, 1.129 WHIP, 3.91 FIP
- Control Remaining: Club Option for 2026 ($8 million)
- Potential Price: OF Jhostynxon Garcia (No. 5) +
If you're wondering why the Brewers, a team still in the NL wild card and NL Central races would be selling at the trade deadline, the simple answer is that they've done it before. Milwaukee has mastered the art of creating a sustainable future without overspending and selling now on Freddy Peralta with ostensibly 1.5 years of control left would be a way to go about that. If that's the case, the Red Sox should jump at the opportunity to acquire the right-hander.
Peralta has long been a high-quality arm in the rotation but has leveled up further this season with some of the best numbers of his career. Furthermore, his baseline — he's not posted an ERA higher than 3.86 since the 2020 season — would give Boston that much-needed reliability behind Crochet at the top of the rotation for this year and next in a cost-effective manner in terms of salary and the 2026 club option.
There are other starting pitchers that could or could not be on the market that the Red Sox could explore, as someone like Jacob deGrom might be the white whale. But among the trade candidates listed by ESPN's insiders and connected to Boston, Peralta should be their top target before the deadline if Breslow is indeed intent on buying.