On Tuesday, Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow made the first move of the offseason. He acquired right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals. The move didn't fill the biggest need the Red Sox have with their rotation for a No. 2 pitcher behind Garrett Crochet.
Free agent Dylan Cease was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night. That leaves Houston Astros free agent Framber Valdez as the top remaining free agent arm. It is unlikely that Boston gets Valdez, which would leave Breslow looking for another arm in a trade.
The Red Sox have an abundance of outfielders, and moving one this offseason makes sense. Which one will be the question? One trade proposal has Boston sending one to the Kansas City Royals for a left-handed pitcher.
The Red Sox are not trading either Roman Anthony or Ceddanne Rafaela. That leaves Wilyer Abreu or Jarren Duran as the likely players to be moved. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report proposed Boston sending Duran to the Royals for left-handed starter Kris Bubic and catcher Carter Jensen.
"With an abundance of outfield talent, there is a high likelihood one of Duran or Wilyer Abreu is traded this offseason, and flipping them for pitching talent is the logical move," Reuter wrote.
"With the Red Sox in win-now mode, they could prioritize MLB talent over prospects, and 2025 All-Star Kris Bubic would be a welcome addition to a staff that has already added Sonny Gray. A rotator cuff strain cut his breakout season short, but he is expected to be ready for Opening Day."
Bubic is the type of pitcher that the Red Sox covet. He went 8-7 for Kansas City this past season with a 2.55 ERA. In 116.1 innings over 20 starts, he struck out 116 and walked just 39 before his season ended early with an injury.
"Since Bubic is only controllable for one more year, it will take more than just a one-for-one swap, and catcher Carter Jensen could bridge the gap as an MLB-ready bat who had a .941 OPS with three home runs and 13 RBI in 69 plate appearances as a September call-up," Reuter wrote.
The Red Sox have been linked to J.T. Realmuto, but Jensen would be a cheaper option for Breslow. He would be able to shift the money for Realmuto to other areas.
Boston parting ways with Duran wouldn't be easy. He missed just five games in 2025 and slashed .256/.332/.442 batting throughout the lineup for manager Alex Cora. Duran had 16 home runs, 41 doubles, and 13 triples. He drove in 84 runs and stole 24 bases.
Trading away Duran gives Rafaela the keys to center field full-time. He won a Gold Glove this season and is the better outfielder. He gives Cora an option at second base, and if Duran or Abreu is traded, then second base would be a need for Boston. The Winter Meetings are a couple of weeks away, and things should really heat up then in terms of moves.