Report: Red Sox shopping young outfielders who could help SF Giants
The Boston Red Sox and SF Giants seemingly line up for a trade on paper. The Red Sox have a glut of position player depth with a thin rotation while San Francisco has a glut of pitching depth in search of upgrades to their lineup. It was reported earlier this offseason that the Giants were open to trading some young pitching, and, according to a report by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox are listening to offers on their young outfielders as well.
Boston Red Sox SS Ceddanne Rafaela hits a single against the Rangers. (2023)
Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
"And according to major league sources, the Sox have continued to explore trades involving their group of young outfielders," Speier wrote.
The Red Sox have three outfielders under team control between 23-27 years old. Jarren Duran, the oldest, has the longest MLB track record while Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela are longtime prospects who made their big-league debuts last season. Tyler O'Neill could fit the Giants as well, but he was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade with the Cardinals earlier this offseason, suggesting he is a part of Boston's 2024 plans.
Duran is coming off a breakout 2023 season where he hit .295/.346/.482 with 34 doubles, eight home runs, 24 stolen bases as the Red Sox primary center fielder. Granted, his defense in center field graded out as below-average by multiple metrics. Of the potential Red Sox hitters on the trade block, Duran seems like the least appealing to the Giants since they signed Jung-Hoo Lee to be the team's everyday center fielder and have a pair of corner outfielders with similar profiles, Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Conforto. Granted, Giants president Farhan Zaidi has emphasized a desire to get younger and more athletic this offseason so it's possible that they could be open to moving one of their veterans in a separate trade to clear a spot for Duran.
Abreu was acquired in a trade with the Astros in 2022. Last season, the lefty started the season at Triple-A and hit .274/.391/.533 with 22 home runs, 59 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 363 plate appearances. That performance in the pitcher-friendly International League motivated Red Sox executives enough to call him up in late August for his big-league debut.
In his first MLB stint, Abreu hit .316/.388/.474 in 87 plate appearances with a pair of home runs, nine walks, and 23 strikeouts. Abreu has always maximized his relatively unexceptional speed on the basepaths and in center field, but he still may be best suited in an outfield corner. Nevertheless, he has an offensive profile that aligns with the Giants' priorities under Zaidi. He has always walked at an exceptional rate and posted impressive exit velocity numbers during his short big-league stint.
Rafaela easily comes with the biggest risk, but might also have the highest upside. A consensus top-100 prospect in the minors, Rafaela has plus speed and is solid defensively at shortstop and has Gold Glove upside in center field. Rafaela has above-average bat-to-ball skills and solid power potential, but has been limited by an extremely aggressive approach. In 108 minor-league games last season between Double-A and Triple-A, Rafaela hit .302/.349/.520 with 20 home runs and 36 stolen bases. However, he looked overmatched against big-league pitching, recording a meager .241/.281/.386 line with 28 strikeouts and just four walks in 89 plate appearances.
While the right-handed hitting Rafaela may not be as immediate an outfield upgrade for the Giants as Duran or Abreu, he could join the competition to replace Brandon Crawford as the team's starting shortstop in 2024. Top prospect Marco Luciano is expected to take over, but Luciano struggled in a cup of coffee in the majors and at the Dominican Winter League. He has also struggled to stay healthy throughout his career.
Abreu and Rafaela are consensus top-10 prospects in the Red Sox organization. Assuming Boston is looking to improve their pitching staff, one of the Giants promising young arms, like Keaton Winn, Tristan Beck, Ryan Walker, Mason Black, or Carson Whisenhunt should be an enticing center piece.
There are other avenues to a potential trade between the two sides as well. Left-handed hitting shortstop David Hamilton is blocked in Boston, but would have a clearer line to playing time on the Giants bench where his defensive versatility and game-changing speed could make an impact.
A far less likely trade scenario could involve Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story. The Giants were also interested in Story when he ultimately inked a $140 million contract with the Red Sox following the 2021 season. That deal has gone terribly for Boston and the Red Sox would likely love to dump Story's contract.
If both teams are willing to get creative, there could be a potential contract swap worked into a deal that sends some combination of Mitch Haniger (owed $32.5 million guaranteed over the next two seasons), Michael Conforto (owed $18 million in 2024), Taylor Rogers (owed $24 million over the next two seasons), Ross Stripling (owed $12.5 in 2024), and Anthony DeSclafani (owed $12 million in 2024) to Boston for Story (owed $95 million over the next four seasons) and some cash.
As the SF Giants aim to get younger and more athletic this offseason, the Boston Red Sox could be a team to help them achieve that goal. With the Red Sox listening to trade offers for their young outfielders, it seems like a swap could be on the horizon.
