Red Sox 25-Year-Old Gold Glover Named Blockbuster Trade Fit For Two AL Central Teams

Are the Red Sox going to make any more offseason trades?

Aug 30, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu (52) hits a sacrifice fly in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Spring training has begun in earnest, but the Boston Red Sox's roster could still be far from finalized.

The acquisition of Alex Bregman last week reaffirmed that the Red Sox are going all-in on making the playoffs in 2025. But they also have to consider the debuts of two superstar prospects and how the rest of the depth chart affects them.

Those two prospects are Roman Anthony, a 20-year-old outfielder, and Kristian Campbell, a 22-year-old utility player. Campbell may be the likelier of the two to make the Opening Day roster, but Anthony is widely considered the slightly better prospect.

The issue for both, but especially Anthony, is that the Red Sox already have a crowded outfield depth chart. That includes All-Star Jarren Duran, defensive wizard Ceddanne Rafaela, and 2024 Gold Glove right fielder Wilyer Abreu.

All of that is to say that a trade could be under consideration. And on Monday, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer named Abreu as one of the most likely trade candidates for the remainder of the offseason, while linking him to a pair of American League Central teams as fits.

"Abreu was a speculative trade candidate throughout the winter, and that is no fault of his own," Rymer wrote. "The issue is that his spot in right field is a natural fit for Roman Anthony, who ranks as MLB.com's No. 1 hitting prospect."

"Abreu is another guy who should interest the (Kansas City) Royals and (Detroit) Tigers."

Abreu, 25, was a rookie in 2024 and wound up having excellent numbers across the board, with a .781 OPS/114 OPS+ and seven outs above average in right field. He's a player who clearly deserves to start for a big-league club, but if Anthony is as advertised, he might find himself losing playing time if he stays in Boston.

It would be a big risk to take for the Red Sox to move on from Abreu this quickly. But this might also be the time when they can get the best return, before they risk losing leverage in the event Anthony takes a starting job.

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