There was a point this season where the Boston Red Sox were the most obvious sellers at the Trade Deadline in all of MLB and CBO Craig Breslow was going to lose his job. Now, after the best month of July in franchise history, they’re firmly in the playoff hunt and look to make a splash at the deadline.
The question is just how big a splash the Red Sox are going to make. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the hope is that they’ll make a major move as they go “big-game hunting.”
The Red Sox have been rumored to be interested in catchers and shortstops on the market. The asking prices there are high for stars at those positions, but that’s the cost of doing business as a contender in 2026.
“Still, there remains a sense behind closed doors that the Red Sox are going big-game hunting. Nothing has materialized yet, but Boston is known to have been talking about long-term shortstop options (like Elly De La Cruz, Zach Neto, Otto Lopez and others), potential upgrades at catcher and adding depth to both the rotation and bullpen,” Cotillo wrote.
Also at the top of the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees have already begun making some major moves. Freddy Peralta is now with the Rays. Meanwhile, Luis Garcia Jr. joined the Yankees. So, the Red Sox do need to keep up.
Boston Red Sox Trade Acquisition Curtis Mead Quickly Injured
GettyBoston Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead being hit by a pitch
The Boston Red Sox did already make one trade. With a deep group of young pitchers, Craig Breslow decided to send Connelly Early, who started a playoff game in 2025, to the Washington Nationals. Coming back was infielder Curtis Mead.
Mead is having a career season at the age of 25. He’s hitting .253 with a .353 OBP, .498 slugging percentage, and .851 OPS. He has 17 home runs and 48 RBIs, not to mention a swing seemingly designed for Fenway Park.
Then, on his first game with the Red Sox, he was hit on the wrist with a pitch. That turned out to be a fracture, and he’s since landed on the IL.
Luckily, the Red Sox did get some level of positive update there. Mead’s timetable is going to be six to eight weeks, which gives him a chance to return this season. He also won’t need surgery on the fracture.
It’s a good thing that Mead won’t need surgery. In the short-term, however, Mead still won’t be in the lineup for the Red Sox. They’ll still need to find a way to replace his power and production at the Trade Deadline.
Red Sox SP Sonny Gray on Trade Deadline Mindset
GettyBoston Red Sox SP Sonny Gray leaving the mound
The Trade Deadline can be an anxious time for the players. Some of them will likely be traded, while it tends to tell a team what their organization thinks about their chances this season.
In his first season with the Red Sox but a veteran of the game, Sonny Gray knows how important this time is to a clubhouse. In particular, how they expect to win.
“The most important thing for winning teams and winning organizations is that it’s not just the guys in the clubhouse that expect to win … [Decisions] made with the anticipation and the mindset of winning … will be well received,” Gray said.
It’s been an excellent month or so for the Red Sox, but the Trade Deadline could dictate how the rest of the season goes. If Craig Breslow isn’t able to land the plane, it could derail things once again.
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