Red Sox Reportedly Interested In Trading Young, Fan-Favorite Outfielders
Could the Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's reported pursuit of one of the top sluggers on the free-agent market be a part of a multi-layered plan?
Directly after Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto came off the board, the Red Sox started to be heavily linked to outfielder Teoscar Hernández in somewhat of a strange pivot.
Their interest, however, makes a lot more sense after some context from The Boston Globe's Alex Speier on Sunday.
"The pursuit of Hernández reinforces the notion, expressed by multiple major league sources, that the Sox are actively exploring trade," Speier wrote. "Adding Hernández would make it easier to deal a young outfielder, whether in pursuit of controllable starting pitching or second base help -- a development that underscores the fact that the team is weighing multiple offseason paths as it tries to upgrade not just its rotation but other areas of the team."
Hernández hit .258 with 57 extra-base hits including 26 home runs, 93 RBIs and a .741 OPS in 160 games for the Seattle Mariners in what was his worst offensive season since his rookie year.
He'd be a strong addition to an outfield group that needed some restructuring. The bigger storyline, however, appears to be the next shoe that will drop should the Red Sox land Hernández.
Breslow has only made one free agent signing -- throwing a measly $1 million to right-hander Cooper Criswell -- but he's already made four trades. That trend appears to be far from over.
Who could Breslow consider moving? Outside of Masataka Yoshida and recently acquired Tyler O'Neill -- everyone would appear to be up for grabs.
Will Breslow sell high on Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu or Ceddane Rafaela? Could Rob Refsynder's team-friendly contract be of interest to opposing clubs?
Hernández would be a right-handed addition. If Breslow values balance, left-handed hitting Duran and Abreu could be safe. Those two represent high upside alongside Rafaela.
One of those three would have to be included if the Red Sox's trade pursuit involves a frontline starter -- Boston could attempt to shop Refsynder in search of a defensive-minded second baseman.
It would be a shame to watch Breslow move on from any of the three players who appear to be on the verge of breaking out -- especially Duran, who started to show how much of an impact he can make in Boston.
Such a move would be unnecessary if Red Sox ownership would start to open up their wallets.
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