What we're hearing on Red Sox trade deadline plans with six hours to go
Here's what we're hearing with six hours to go before the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline:
1) At this hour, most of the players who have been linked to the Red Sox are still on the board. Shane Bieber, Jhoan Duran and, surprisingly, Eugenio Suarez are the exceptions. But many big names, especially on the starting pitching market, have yet to move.
The wild card on the market remains Minnesota's Joe Ryan. People around the Twins didn't anticipate them moving Duran, who is under team control through 2027. If the Twins are in for a dime, are they in for a dollar? Does the Duran move make it more likely that they'll deal Ryan? Folks in the game are wondering.
2) It's assumed by many to be a lock that the Diamondbacks deal starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, who represent two of the top rental pitchers on the market. But there is a bar to clear. Both right-handers are candidates to receive a qualifying offer so the Diamondbacks are going to want more than a potential compensation pick would be worth. There's a world in which they deem the offers they're getting to not clear that bar.
Both Gallen and Kelly would be very good fits for Boston.
3) The pursuit of Eugenio Suarez as a potential first base option, as first reported by The Athletic, shows that Craig Breslow is not ruling out offensive upgrades, even with pitching remaining the priority. It still feels like Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz represents a North Star of sorts for the Red Sox when it comes to first base upgrades but the Rays operate creatively and the trades of Danny Jansen and Zack Littell don't signal that they're going to sell off more key pieces. Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn is out there, too.
4) The Matz-for-Jordan deal is very, very similar to the trades Breslow made in his first deadline running the Red Sox last year. Think: spare part for rental that represents a small upgrade. The key is getting better results than a year ago, when every deal flopped. And shopping for bigger fish.
5) Alex Cora remains close with Christian Vázquez and with the Twins in sell mode, one baseball source said 'all (the Red Sox) have to do is call' if they wanted to land their former catcher. It might come down to whether the Sox view Vázquez, who has a .519 OPS and is making $10 million this year, as a true upgrade over Connor Wong, who has shown a little bit more with the bat in recent days. Availability isn't the issue with Vázquez.
6) It feels like the crazy bullpen market has ruled the day so far. Every team could benefit from someone like new Padre Mason Miller, who is under team control through 2029. So guys like that are going to come at a super high price (with Leo De Vries headlining the package). But there have been affordable prices paid, too. Ryan Helsley would have represented more of a late-inning upgrade than Matz for the Red Sox, though Matz was a priority for Boston. One evaluator familiar with Boston's system said a package headlined by toolsy outfield prospect Miguel Bleis would have been comparable to what the Mets gave up for Helsley.
7) The Marcelo Mayer injury forced the Red Sox to shift Ceddanne Rafaela to second base way more than they'd prefer, but it did clear the outfield logjam in a way that allows everyone to play basically every day. For that reason, the urgency to trade someone like Jarren Duran has lessened. But here's a factor that could come into play this afternoon: The Red Sox know better than anyone that Duran's performance can be volatile, with high peaks and low valleys. One thing working against them a month ago was his poor/mediocre start to the season. His value has risen with a fantastic July that should put him in the AL Player of the Month conversation. That might excite some teams who were wary four weeks ago.
8) As part of their check-ins on veteran starters around baseball in recent weeks, the Red Sox seemed more interested in White Sox righty Aaron Civale than his teammate Adrian Houser. Civale is a Connecticut native and Northeastern alum who has not been shy about wanting to play in Boston. Of course, he has no control over where he goes in this case. It would be a low-cost fall-back.
9) The Red Sox took on the rest of Matz's money before he hits free agency this fall, which equals about $4 million in CBT calculations. They're more than $10 million over the first threshold as is.
Boston has $9-10 million to go before crunching up against the next CBT threshold of $261 million. That would seem to be hard to get to. But one executive who has had talks with the Red Sox has said money is a factor in their negotiations. There's always the possibility of a John Henry-imposed budget, which in this case would be higher than the ones he has installed in previous seasons.
10) It's a small thing, but a 40-man crunch isn't going to play a big role this afternoon. The Red Sox effectively had two free spaces on their roster with Hunter Dobbins and Tanner Houck being 60-day injured list candidates.
BETTING: The Red Sox are +850 to win the AL East over on BetMGM. Our BetMGM Sportsbook review shows you how to sign up and use their platform.
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Boston Globe
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- Boston Globe
A look at some interesting story lines from baseball's trade deadline frenzy
Last one out lock the door: The Twins traded 11 players off their 40-man roster in a span of four days, including Carlos Correa . On Monday, when the first of the trades went down, manager Rocco Baldelli correctly predicted it was going to be a difficult few days. Advertisement 'I'm kind of used to rolling with the punches and trying to find different ways to succeed,' he said. 'Kind of been used to that my entire baseball life. The psychological part of it is not going to affect me very much, because I know we're going to have to turn in a different direction. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We're going to have to challenge guys and put guys in different spots. I've seen this many times before. It's actually the way you find out about other guys by giving them opportunities.' With the team for sale, it's been an awkward season for Baldelli and other team officials, but president of baseball operations Derek Falvey didn't stop with players on expiring contracts. He Jhoan Duran went to the Phillies and righthander Griffin Jax was traded to the Rays. Related : Advertisement The Twins saved $70 million by trading Correa, but the return was only a Single A reliever who's not considered a prospect. Falvey, a Lynn native, held on to starters Joe Ryan and Pablo López , and acquired Mick Abel (for Duran) and Taj Bradley (for Jax) to fill out the rotation and serve as a base for rebuilding. Minnesota also has David Festa , Bailey Ober , Zebby Matthews , and Simeon Woods Richardson , who have combined to start 50 games this season. The Twins need to fill holes in their lineup, but have starters to trade. The hope is that new owners will add to the payroll. Carlos Correa returned to the Astros and appeared in Friday night's loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Charles Krupa/Associated Press Seattle sluggers: The Mariners now have the American League leader in RBIs in Cal Raleigh and the former National League leader in Suárez. Through Thursday, they had combined for 78 home runs and 175 RBIs. Suárez, who played for Seattle from 2022-23, had 36 homers at the time of the trade. That's the most for a player in a midseason trade since Mark McGwire had 34 in 1997 when he was traded from the Athletics to the Cardinals on July 31. McGwire hit 24 homers in 51 games for St. Louis. The Mariners also have Julio Rodríguez , Randy Arozarena , J.P. Crawford , and newly acquired Josh Naylor . That's a strong lineup to back an impressive rotation. The Mariners have made the playoffs once since 2001 and have never been to the World Series. Mr. Entertainment: A.J. Preller has run baseball operations for the Padres for 11 years. He's been more entertaining than most of his players with all the deals he makes. Advertisement Preller made five trades on Thursday involving five teams and 22 players. The Padres now have Nelson Cortes , Ramon Laureano , Mason Miller , and Ryan O'Hearn to further torment the Dodgers. San Diego trailed Los Angeles by only three games going into the weekend. Since becoming GM in 2014, Preller has made at least one trade with every team except Arizona. Since 2020, only the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, and Rockies haven't made a deal with Preller. Yaz on the move: Mike Yastrzemski is going to make an unexpected return trip home. The Andover native was traded to the Royals minutes before the deadline, ending a successful seven-year run with the Giants. The Royals will be at Fenway for a three-game series starting Monday. Yastrzemski has played six games at Fenway in his career. He is 6 of 20 with two homers and four RBIs. Related : Yastrzemski will be a free agent after the season. He turns 35 this month, but is a solid platoon bat and an excellent outfielder and should not lack for suitors. Yastrzemski was an Orioles minor leaguer from 2013-18 before he was traded to the Giants and his career flowered. 'San Francisco gave me something I'll never forget — a chance,' Maybe nobody is untradeable: Arizona traded six players as general manager Mike Hazen embraced being a seller after resisting the idea throughout his career. He even managed to find a taker for Jordan Montgomery , who hasn't pitched this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Montgomery will be a free agent after the season, but Milwaukee agreed to take him and pay $2 million of his remaining $7.1 million salary this season as part of acquiring righthanded reliever Shelby Miller . Advertisement Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick said last winter that signing Montgomery to a two-year, $47.5 million contract was a 'horrible decision' and blamed himself for pushing for it. Long-term ramifications: The Giants traded four players to the Red Sox for Rafael Devers on June 15. One of them was 22-year-old outfielder James Tibbs . Tibbs had a .589 OPS in 29 games for Double A Portland, then was traded to the Dodgers as part of the return for Dustin May . The Giants were 13-24 after trading for Devers. Now the Dodgers have Tibbs. Imagine if Tibbs becomes a good player and haunts the Giants for years while a member of the Dodgers? He kept his promise: Brian Cashman said the Yankees would 'go to town' at the deadline. Cashman then traded for relievers Jake Bird , David Bednar , and Camilo Doval to upgrade the bullpen behind Luke Weaver and Devin Williams . Bednar had 17 saves for the Pirates and Doval 15 for the Giants. Austin Slater was obtained from the White Sox as outfield depth. The Yankees also added Amed Rosario and Ryan McMahon to work as a platoon at third base, and Jose Caballero as infield depth and value as a pinch runner in the postseason. Cashman made nine trades in all. 'We certainly knocked on many doors regarding potential starting pitching. But obviously we weren't able to match up in that category,' he said. The Yankees worked to get Sandy Alcantara from the Marlins, but Miami held on to the righthander, who has a 6.36 ERA and is signed through 2026. Advertisement The Yankees have Luis Gil set to make his season debut on Sunday after recovering from a lat injury. That led to the release of Marcus Stroman . Releasing Stroman also could be viewed as the Yankees having confidence in rookie righthander Cam Schlittler of Walpole, who has made three starts. Yankess GM Brian Cashman kept his promise that his team would 'go to town' at the deadline. Frank Franklin II/Associated Press HIS HERO Yoshida reflects on Ichiro's impact Masataka Yoshida was 7 when Ichiro Suzuki made his debut with the Mariners in 2001. All the Japanese players in the major leagues to that point had been pitchers. For Yoshida and other hitters growing up in Japan, Suzuki was an inspiration. 'He was one of my role models,' Yoshida said. 'He showed you could get to the major leagues and be one of the best players.' So it was with a healthy dose of national pride that Yoshida watched the coverage of Suzuki's Hall of Fame induction last weekend. The first Japanese player granted entry to the Hall delivered a speech that was sentimental, funny, and thankful. 'That speech had the right message to the next generation,' Yoshida told the Globe via a translator. 'He was showing his gratitude to the people who supported him. I thought it was great.' Related : As a young player, Yoshida watched Suzuki and then Hideki Matsui on television, and made it his goal to play at the highest level. 'The reason I'm here is because of [Suzuki] and the other players of that time,' said Yoshida, who followed Suzuki by signing with Orix in the Japanese league. 'They paved the way. I think our job is to pass it on to the next generation.' There have been a record 14 Japanese position players in the majors this season. 'I'm proud of that for sure,' Yoshida said. 'But also of the other Asian players, too. So many players want to come here. That is the goal.' Advertisement It was Ichiro who showed it was possible. Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player granted entry to the Hall of Fame. Seth Wenig/Associated Press A few other observations on the Red Sox: ⋅ Craig Breslow has had some good offseasons. He hit on Tyler O'Neill and Justin Slaten before the 2024 season, and give him full credit for trading Alex Verdugo for Richard Fitts and Greg Weissert . He traded for Garrett Crochet and Carlos Narváez last winter, and signed Aroldis Chapman and Alex Bregman . Great job. The trade deadline work is suspect. Related : Luis Garcia , Danny Jansen , James Paxton , and Lucas Sims were worth minus-0.9 bWAR in 2024. They made the team worse. This season — with clearly defined needs and a supposedly deep farm system — Breslow delivered only Steven Matz and Dustin May . There wasn't a first baseman anywhere to be had, or a better starter? The old expression 'perfect is the enemy of good' seems to apply. Breslow sometimes seems more satisfied about what he didn't do than what he actually did. It's hard not to wonder if more Sox fans would have preferred that Breslow sold high on Chapman, Lucas Giolito , and Justin Wilson instead of making such cautious additions. ⋅ The 2020 draft and the machinations that accompanied it are interesting. The Sox took second baseman Nick Yorke with the 17th pick, a surprise to many draft evaluators who didn't see him going that high. Chaim Bloom signed Yorke to an under-slot deal and used the savings to land high school slugger Blaze Jordan in the third round. Yorke was traded to the Pirates in 2024 for righthander Quinn Priester . 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He struck out 17 and walked two in that stretch. Take away a six-run meltdown against the Tigers on May 2 and Jansen would have a 1.25 ERA this season. He also has converted 20 of 21 save chances. Jansen, who turns 38 in September, has 467 saves, fourth all-time and 11 away from tying Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third. Jansen's 1,260 strikeouts are the fifth most in history by a reliever. Extra bases The Brewers averaged 31,323 fans last season. It's 31,041 this season. That's not a big drop, but Milwaukee went into the weekend 64-44 and leading the Cubs by a game. The Brewers have the fourth most runs scored in the National League, and are second in the majors in stolen bases. What are the fans waiting for? … Brian Knight retired after 16½ seasons as an umpire because of injuries. He was behind the plate for Jon Lester's no-hitter at Fenway Park on May 19, 2008 … Happy birthday to Kevin Morton , who is 57. The lefthander from Norwalk, Conn., played at Seton Hall from 1987-89. His teammates included Craig Biggio , Dana Brown [now general manager of the Astros], Mo Vaughn , and John Valentin . Morton was a first-round pick of the Red Sox in 1989 and made his major league debut in 1991. He was 6-5 with a 4.59 ERA over 16 games. It proved to be his only season in the majors because of underperformance and injury. Morton stayed in baseball through 1996, spending time in the minors with the Royals, Mets, and Cubs before playing briefly in Mexico and Taiwan. His son, Korey , was an outfielder at UConn from 2021-24 and played a season in the Astros system. Peter Abraham can be reached at
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One-of-a-kind basketball card signed by Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant could net record-breaking $6M
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