The Red Sox have left a lot to be desired after a season that began so promisingly.
According to FanGraphs, the Red Sox are 40-40 going into Tuesday’s game against the Angels and have a slim 25.6 percent chance of qualifying for the playoffs.
Boston may decide to sell off assets before MLB’s trade deadline, even if the Red Sox have already lost their best slugger, Rafael Devers, particularly if they decide to put more of an emphasis on allowing younger players like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer to grow.
Given the abundance of veteran veterans who may assist other teams in the 2025 stretch run, Craig Breslow should have no trouble finding bidders if Boston decides to sell.
The top 50 MLB trade deadline contenders were unveiled by ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel on Tuesday. The players were evaluated according to how much they would be worth to their new team in a deal.
Included on the list were four Red Sox players:
Alex Bregman, 3B: #1
Jarren Duran of OF: No. 2
Aroldis Chapman, RP: Number 18
Buehler, SP Walker: No. 28
The veteran third baseman was playing like a top-five MVP contender during his first two months with the Red Sox, despite being out with a quad injury.
Bregman has a.938 OPS, 11 home runs, 35 RBI, and a.299 batting average in 51 games with Boston.
If Bregman chooses to opt out of his contract, he could become a free agent this winter. However, the Red Sox may possibly want to keep the veteran as their long-term third baseman after trading Devers.
The Red Sox have a mere 10% chance of trading for Bregman by the end of July, according to Passan and McDaniel.
Since joining the league in 2016, Bregman has been a top-tier big league hitter, but this season he has leaned more toward power, achieving his greatest isolated power since 2019, according to Passan and McDaniel. The majority of his underlying power metrics, including hard hit rate, average launch angle, maximum exit velocity, and barrel rate, are at their highest points in their careers.
The number of teams that would accept his contract is greatly reduced by his $40 million salary and the option to opt out for two further years at $40 million a year.
According to Passan and McDaniel, there is a 25% possibility that Duran will be transferred.
Between Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Roman Anthony, the Red Sox now have an abundance of outfielders. Even in a weak season, moving Duran may help Boston break that impasse and provide a respectable return.
Duran was also listed as the #1 baseball trade target by The Athletic last week.
To be clear, unless the return is significant, Boston has little motivation to even consider bids for Duran, according to The Athletic. Duran is still a batter who is well above average, has a lot of speed, and can play center field, even if his output has obviously fallen short of his 2024 breakthrough.
Most significantly, he is a player that teams can develop around because he is under team control through 2028. Of course, the Red Sox may still develop around him even if they suddenly have a lot of talented prospects in the lineup. Duran has already been connected to the Padres, so they won’t be alone themselves.
According to ESPN, Chapman and Buehler have a 35 percent probability of getting dealt.
Boston might receive a respectable return if they trade the 37-year-old reliever to a contender in the upcoming weeks, since Chapman has likely been the greatest closer in the AL thus far this season.
After yet another subpar start against the Angels on Monday night, a struggling Buehler might not have much to offer.
At 6 p.m. on July 31, 2025, the MLB trade deadline will take place.
Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Receive all the information you require to begin your day, given directly to your inbox each morning.
