The Boston Red Sox have been struggling offensively all season.
They have scored an AL-worst 258 runs.
Sitting in last place in the majors with just 52 home runs, the Red Sox are severely lacking in the power department.
CBO Craig Breslow has some decisions to make in the upcoming weeks on whether they will buy or sell at the Trade Deadline. If they choose to buy, a Cubs slugger might be on the trade block.
On Thursday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote a column and floated the idea of the Chicago Cubs moving on from right fielder Seiya Suzuki ahead of the 2026 trade deadline.
Could the Red Sox acquire him?
What Did Rosenthal Say and How Does it Affect the Boston Red Sox?
In his column, Rosenthal mentioned Suzuki as an option for teams in need of right-handed power.
“Quality right-handed bats will have immense value at the trade deadline,” Rosenthal wrote. “And the Chicago Cubs, a team arguably in need of a shakeup, feature a righty hitter other teams might covet: Right fielder Seiya Suzuki. The Cubs drew trade interest in Suzuki last offseason, in part, because so few right-handed hitters were available.”
Suzuki, through 54 games with the Cubs this year, is sporting a .247/.333/.409 slash line with nine home runs and 22 runs driven in.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy, the Red Sox could use a bat like Suzuki.
“The Red Sox are in desperate need of a right-handed bat,” McAvoy wrote. “It has been shared over and over again that Boston is looking for thump. Right now, the Red Sox are 12 games below .500 at 27-39. If the Red Sox want to add a piece, they’re going to need to do so very quickly. Soon enough, they’re going to be too far out of contention and then it will make more sense to sell than add. They’re dangerously near that point anyway.”
Would This Make Sense?
While Suzuki is sporting potentially the worst numbers of his career, he has been dealing with injuries.
If Suzuki is fully healthy, we’ve seen what he can do. In 151 games last year, Suzuki hit 32 home runs and drove in 103 runs, getting down-ballot votes for NL MVP.
That’s the Suzuki that Cubs fans know he can be.
While Boston doesn’t need an outfielder at this point, beggars can’t be choosers. Outfielders Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are penciled in the outfield. However, Suzuki can be the designated hitter, especially against left-handers, on a team that desperately needs power hitting.
While Masataka Yoshida has been the main designated hitter in 2026, he has struggled to a .238/.329/.323 slash line with just one home run.
Boston needs to make a move, regardless of position, to wake this offense up.
Duran and others are heating up, but it won’t matter if the Red Sox can’t hit for power.
Suzuki may be one of the few dependable right-handed power bats on the trade market. If he’s available, Breslow has little time to right the ship this season and needs to pull the trigger.
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