The Boston Red Sox look like a club that could end up selling ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline, but who should they deal away?
Any one they don't feel is a part of the long-term core of the organization.
The 2026 season has been horrible for Boston, but there's still an argument that there are plenty of intriguing pieces around to believe that next year the Red Sox could return to form, if they add more offense in the offseason.
Throughout the summer, the Red Sox are going to have to make some tough calls. Aroldis Chapman and Sonny Gray are the obvious options. Jarren Duran has been talked about as a trade chip, but he does have a few years of team control left. Another guy worth watching is reliever Garrett Whitlock.
He has two more club options left on his deal for the 2027 and 2028 seasons and would bring a massive return to Boston. Do the Red Sox look to deal him and try to replace him in the offseason? Or stay the course? It's a real question. On Friday, Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer made an intriguing trade pitch involving Whitlock and the Cincinnati Reds.
"Best Landing Spot: Cincinnati Reds," Rymer wrote. "The Reds' bullpen has a 4.81 ERA, which ranks 25th in MLB. That's bad enough, but what's worse is how much their right-handed relievers, specifically, haven't helped. They've combined for a 5.42 ERA and 1.55 WHIP.
"Simply to this extent, Garrett Whitlock is one of dozens of options who should be on the board in Nick Krall's office. And beyond being better than most, what he has on the rest is cheap controllability. Those option years are valued at $8.25 million and $10.5 million, respectively. Trade Proposal: Reds get RHP Garrett Whitlock; Red Sox get 3B Cam Collier."
Collier is a 21-year-old former first-round pick who has eight homers and 42 homers in Double-A this season in 72 games played. He's the Reds' No. 6 prospect. Not a bad idea, to say the least.