Astros' Infielder Puts Red Sox Trade Rumors To Rest

All offseason long, it felt like Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown was going to address a need his team had by dealing Isaac Paredes. There were just too many rumors for something not to end up happening.

In the end, Brown kept Paredes despite an offseason full of rumors. There were a lot of them. One team that was linked to him was the Boston Red Sox. A deal between the two teams would have made sense. The Red Sox needed an infielder after Alex Bregman left in free agency for the Chicago Cubs. The Astros needed a left-handed hitting outfielder and Boston has plenty of those.

Nothing came close to being done between the two teams and Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow pivoted to the Milwaukee Brewers for Caleb Durbin.

The Red Sox are in Houston for a three-game series this week that began on Monday night with an 8-1 Astros win, their third win in a row. Before the game, Paredes spoke to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe (subscription required) and put an end to the trade rumors with Boston.

Isaac Paredes All But Confirms Red Sox Rumors But Doesn't Sound Like He Wants To Play There

Houston Astros second baseman Isaac Paredes — Isaac Paredes | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

One thing that attracted Breslow and the Red Sox to Paredes was his ability to be a pull hitter. As a right-hander, he could do some damage in left field at Fenway Park with the Green Monster. However, through an interpreter, he made it clear that playing in Boston would create a problem.

“I like playing there. I think the fans are awesome there,” Paredes said. “But truthfully, it’s not a stadium that I can see the ball well (at). I don’t know why. It’s just difficult for me to see the ball there.”

There are a couple of ways to take that quote. Maybe Paredes doesn't want to play in Boston. Like New York and Los Angeles, it's not cut out for everyone. The pressure is real with the fans and the media. It's different than playing in Houston. Paredes admitted it's a good stadium for him to hit in, but there is a problem, seeing the baseball.

“It’s a good stadium for me; I’m a pull hitter,” Paredes said. “But to be able to pull the ball, I have to be able to see the ball and hit it. And I can’t see it there.”

Paredes is getting time at third base with Jeremy Peña dealing with an injury that manager Joe Espada is going to be careful with. That moves Carlos Correa over to shortstop from third. Paredes future in Houston will always be in doubt and he'll likely find himself in more trade rumors between now and the deadline, but for now, Boston doesn't look like a destination for him.