Red Sox-Astros Trade Buzz Reignited Ahead of Opening Day

Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes looked like he might be the Boston Red Sox's eventual solution for much of the offseason, but that talk mostly died down in February.

The Red Sox needed an infielder in the wake of Alex Bregman signing with the Chicago Cubs, and on Feb. 9, they got third baseman/second baseman Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers, which took a six-player trade and seemed to be the finishing move of the offseason.

However, on Tuesday, one prominent baseball insider rekindled the flame of Paredes eventually winding up in Boston.

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Red Sox still "best fit" for Paredes?

Sep 9, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) smiles after getting hit by a pitch during the ninth inning against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

On Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote a piece strongly urging the Astros to trade Paredes to clear their infield logjam, and suggested that a deal involving the Red Sox, specifically outfielder Jarren Duran, made the most sense for all parties.

"The Red Sox, even after acquiring Caleb Durbin from Milwaukee, still look like the best fit for Paredes — they could play him at third and Durbin at second without needing to rely on Marcelo Mayer," Rosenthal wrote. "The Astros are not getting back Wilyer Abreu, whom they traded in 2022 for catcher Christian Vázquez. A deal constructed around Jarren Duran should remain within reach.

"The problem is that the Red Sox’s trade for Durbin improved their negotiating position while weakening the Astros’. Brown, then, might need to get creative, possibly involving a third team, possibly pivoting from the Red Sox entirely."

It makes complete sense that the Astros should still be trying to deal Paredes; no arguing with Rosenthal's logic there. But the Duran piece of the equation isn't as simple as the insider makes it seem.

Paredes is a good hitter who fits well at Fenway Park. But his best seasons haven't been nearly as valuable as last year was for Duran, and we know the 2024 version of Duran still exists. By swapping the two, even if the Red Sox got other pieces back, Boston essentially would be banking on Paredes and Yoshida to outperform Duran and Mayer this year.

That sounds like a math equation the Red Sox would be on the wrong side of, and as much as it would behoove the Astros to find a new fit for Paredes, Boston is under no obligation to help them.