Red Sox Mock Trade: Boston Sends Wilyer Abreu to Mets for Slugger

The Boston Red Sox are days away from kicking off Spring Training, but that hasn't stopped trade speculation around the league.

On Friday, ESPN's David Schoenfield shared a column cooking up mock trades that "could shake up Spring Training." One included the Red Sox and the New York Mets. Schoenfield pitched a one-for-one swap sending outfielder Wilyer Abreu to the Mets for infielder Brett Baty.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

"Boston Red Sox trade OF Wilyer Abreu to New York Mets for 3B Brett Baty," Schoenfield wrote. "A Red Sox-Mets deal has felt like a potential fit all offseason -- maybe even more so now that Alex Bregman has departed the Fens for Wrigley Field. The Mets' signings of Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco leave Baty without an obvious regular position. The Red Sox have four starting outfielders and need a third baseman. Plus, these two are a perfect match in service time and projected value: Both are still pre-arbitration with four years of team control remaining. FanGraphs' ZiPS projects 2.4 WAR for Abreu and 2.6 for Baty. That might undersell Abreu's defense a little bit -- he's a back-to-back Gold Glove winner in right field -- so maybe the Mets throw in a minor prospect to even this deal out.

The Red Sox should consider this mock trade

Sep 17, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) throws the ball to first base for an out during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"However, New York might be hesitant to make this swap for a couple of reasons: Bichette has an opt-out clause after 2026, so keeping Baty is a hedge against Bichette leaving. If prospect Carson Benge is ready, maybe the Mets think they're OK in the outfield. (Baty might get some reps in left field as well.) Similarly, the Red Sox might be hesitant for a couple of reasons: They do have options for second and third base in Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, Romy Gonzalez and David Hamilton. Baty would be a better fit if he hit right-handed, since Boston is still heavy on lefty bats."

Now, this isn't a bad idea by any means. As Schoenfield pointed out, the Red Sox are already left-heavy, so in a perfect world the club would add a right-handed bat. But if the club were to move on from a lefty bat in Abreu, arguably an addition of Baty wouldn't overpower the lineup too much with lefties. So, then the idea comes down to fit.

The Red Sox just signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa. He's a right-handed bat who can play all over the infield. Reports also have popped up indicating that the Red Sox are at least looking around at right-handed outfielders. Baty was in the 70th percentile in outs above average in 2025. On top of this, he hit 18 homers, drove in 50 runs and slashed .254/.313/.435. Also, he won't be a free agent until after the 2029 season.

At first look at the mock trade, it's easy to question it. But when you dig a little deeper, it actually makes a lot of sense.

More MLB: New Red Sox Infielder Brendan Rodgers Already Has Boston Connection