Three Possible Red Sox Trade Targets Based On ESPN List

We’re not even through April, so there’s a long way to go before the MLB playoffs get here, but for teams like the Red Sox, it’s never too early to start thinking about ways to augment a roster.

Apparently, ESPN.com is on a similar page. ESPN.com writer David Schoenfield took on the Herculean (and most likely pointless) task of identifying at least one possible trade chip for each team this season even with the deadline three months away. He theorized the 2025 deadline could be unpredictable with a lack of big-name talent in position to be moved and wondering whether a bunched-up American League could affect the market.

“Maybe that will lead to some more unusual deadline deals: MLB player-for-MLB-player trades, rather than just prospect deals; or maybe a few more trades involving players who aren’t just headed for free agency, like Jazz Chisholm Jr. last year,” Schoenfield wrote.

The Red Sox are part of that bunched-up AL picture, and they could be a unique player in all of this. Boston’s young talent is undeniable, creating a logjam that doesn’t have an obvious solution.

If Boston is where it should be in July, it should be in the buyer’s market. Assuming that ends up being the case, here are three players from Schoenfield’s list they could (and maybe should?) target.

SP Sandy Alcantara (Miami)
So, the Marlins kind of suck. Again. As Schoenfield notes, Miami remains “in the middle of a deep rebuild,” so here we are. Schoenfield breaks the 30 teams into five various sections based on their respective situations and whether they’d be buying, selling, etc. One of those groups is the teams that make the most sense for Alcantara, Miami’s right-handed ace. He includes the Red Sox in that group, so we’re onto something here. Alcantara missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery. The results haven’t been great; Alcantara has a 7.27 ERA through four starts, striking out 13 in 17 1/3 innings. He’s averaging 97 mph on his fastball, though, so it’s not exactly a stuff issue. The walk rate has exploded, and he’s giving up a lot of loud contact, two undeniable pieces of evidence command isn’t there — yet. It would be interesting if the Red Sox — or any team — called up the Marlins to talk about the right-hander now and see if it can’t get him at a slight discount before he figures it out and the price naturally increases before the deadline.

RP Ryan Helsley (St. Louis)/RP Jhoan Duran (Minnesota)
OK, so it’s actually a list of four players, but there’s a method to the madness. Both Helsey and Duran make the list because their situations are quite different. Helsley is in the final year of his contract, and he’d be a rental. There was some talk or at least some speculation that Helsley could have been part of Red Sox-Cardinals trade talks centered around Nolan Arenado in the offseason. The Cardinals closer led the big leagues in saves a year ago (49) and has been nasty again this season, striking out nine of the 31 batters he has faced this season. The Cardinals have stumbled out of the blocks, and that could make Helsley a popular name in talks moving forward.

As for Duran, he’s under contract through 2027, so the asking price is likely going to be higher. He’s been borderline unhittable to start the season. As of Tuesday, his expected ERA is in the top 6% of baseball, and he’s generating a whiff percentage of better than 30%. The Twins are in baseball’s worst division, so they won’t be raising the red flag anytime soon, but it’s worth monitoring.

INF Kyle Farmer
You could just go with another pitcher here, and if everything plays out the way the Red Sox hope, there might not be a need for an everyday positional player. The ESPN list was also dominated by pitchers. So Farmer might be a bit of a stretch, but he’s a right-handed hitter who can play multiple infield positions. The need for a right-handed bat to balance the lineup was a major theme of the offseason, and Kristian Campbell helped satisfy that need. Someone like Farmer could add some depth or he could even be an option if there’s an injury — or even if someone like Triston Casas continued to struggle (although first base is Farmer’s lest familiar position). It’s probably nothing more than depth play, and his inclusion is a limitation of the list (and the date) more than anything else.