The Boston Red Sox remain stuck at the bottom of the AL East standings. Given the success of New York and Tampa Bay at the top, it's becoming harder and harder to see the path back to contention. At least this season.
Firing Alex Cora didn't help much, and the Red Sox are now facing worrisome injuries to Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony and other key contributors. As such, we could see Boston start shedding pieces ahead of the trade deadline, starting with these four players.
OF Jarren Duran
There is an element of bad luck to Jarren Duran's sluggish start, but that excuse only carries so much weight with a .192 batting average and a .586 OPS. The Red Sox All-Star — already popular in offseason trade rumors — has struggled mightily atop Boston's order. The strikeouts are up, the walks are down. Nothing feels right.
Duran is still a quality defender in the corner outfield and he's a bolt of lightning on the base paths. The exit velocity hasn't fallen much either, which means there's reason to believe he can turn it around eventually. Also, at 29 years old and under contract for another two seasons after this, Duran should appeal to a number of contenders looking for long-term outfield help.
He comes with his share of off-field baggage, and the trends over the last couple years are worrisome, but talent is talent. Duran has it. As Boston attempts to clean house and solve its outfield glut, trading Duran feels like a no-brainer.
RHP Sonny Gray
Sonny Gray has done his job better than a lot of Red Sox this season, but with Crochet and Ranger Suárez both spending time on the IL recently, it feels like the seams are coming apart on what was supposed to be a dominant Boston rotation. Brayan Bello's regression certainly does not help.
If the Red Sox aren't going to hit their way to contention, this staff needs to have its best stuff. Absent that, it becomes time to consider trading Gray, who arrived in Boston this offseason with just one guaranteed year remaining on his contract (plus a team option for 2027). The 36-year-old only has so much left in the tank, but he's a three-time All-Star with a sterling track record. Plenty of contenders will spend good money (and prospect capital) for a half-season of Gray, with the opportunity for another year if things go well down the stretch.
He has a 3.54 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP across six starts, with 15 strikeouts in 28.0 innings. He has done a great job of working out of jams, but his under-the-hood metrics (5.49 xERA) suggest imminent regression. So now's the time to sell high, before the fall.
1B Willson Contreras
Another ex-Cardinal brought in over the winter, Willson Contreras has given the Red Sox plenty at the plate. With an .846 OPS and 133 wRC+, he is effectively their most dependable bat right now. That's hardly a surprise, as Contreras has been a model of consistency for years now.
He's under guaranteed contract through next season, with a reasonable $20 million club option for 2028. The Red Sox aren't under immediate pressure to trade Contreras, but he's also 33. The tank will be empty eventually, so it's probably smart to sell early in a lost season, when contenders will still line up around the block to add his bat for the stretch run — and hopefully a couple future postseason runs, too.
Trading Contreras would be the ultimate white flag. It would signal a real desire to look ahead and a willingness to cut bait on the 2026 campaign. Not every Red Sox fan is ready for such talk, but the clock is ticking.
LHP Aroldis Chapman
Aroldis Chapman completely reinvented himself last season, evolving from a high-velocity guy into a high-velocity guy who aims. Chapman's stuff has always been elite, but now he's commanding his pitches, with a sparkling 6.8 percent walk rate. He has a 0.77 ERA and 0.86 WHIP, with 14 strikeouts in 11.2 innings out of the bullpen. He's the most dominant closer in the American League right now.
He also has an extra year of club control, but the relief market has exploded in recent years. The Phillies, for example, dealt two consensus top-100 prospects for Jhoan Durán last summer. The Padres gave up a top-five prospect in Leo De Vries to acquire Mason Miller. Chapman is 38, so he won't fetch quite that high a price, but the Red Sox can put the squeeze on a needy contender.
With Garrett Whitlock, Tyler Samaniego and other talented relievers ready to step into high-leverage situations, the Red Sox can trade Chapman without completely sacrificing their World Series aspirations in 2027 or beyond. This feels like the correct next step.