With the MLB Trade Deadline coming up next week, the Boston Red Sox are expected to be buyers. They enter play on Tuesday six games over .500 and in control of a wild card spot in the American League.
While the Red Sox are expected to pursue pitching at the deadline, there’s been some speculation that they may look to trade some of their position player depth, especially in the outfield where Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are all competing for playing time.
However, that seems unlikely, according to a recent report from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
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Boston’s rise from under .500 to the thick of contention couldn’t have come at a better time for the club’s 2025 hopes.https://t.co/H9s0Kicgy3
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 22, 2025
“The front office is likely to add pitching, according to sources familiar with their situation, while retaining the abundance of outfielders unless the club is blown away with an offer in the next 10 days,” Rogers writes. He also adds that Boston’s outfield logjam will likely be addressed in the offseason.
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One of Rogers’ sources appears to be Red Sox assistant general manager Paul Toboni, who sounds reluctant to trade some of Boston’s depth, especially with the team playing so well.
“Having a surplus of good players isn’t a bad thing,” Toboni told ESPN. “The high-end depth is a really good thing. It’s not like we’re anxious to move away from that.”
If the Red Sox do trade for pitching, then, they will likely send prospects rather than established big leaguers, similar to how they acquired Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox last winter.
One of Boston’s top trade targets appears to be Minnesota Twins All-Star Joe Ryan, who figures to command a high asking price.
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With a 45.5% chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs, the Red Sox could use some help to push them over the hump down the stretch. Craig Breslow has shown a willingness to be bold, so it won’t be surprising if he makes a big splash before the July 31 deadline.