Why Red Sox Acquired Caleb Durbin Over Isaac Paredes, Cubs Infielders

The Boston Red Sox plugged their hole in the infield on Monday, but not in the way many expected them to.

Rumors have swirled left and right in the trade market for Boston, but Caleb Durbin's name was not mentioned much. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported that Durbin was a potential option for Boston and then shortly afterward, he became a member of the organization.

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Boston got the deal over the finish line on Monday with the Brewers. On paper, the deal arguably swayed in Boston's favor. The Red Sox landed Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler and a Comp B pick (67th overall) in exchange for Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton and Shane Drohan. Arguably, the Red Sox won the deal on paper. Neither Harrison nor Hamilton had an inside track to a consistent role in Boston in 2026 and now the club has an infielder with years of control coming off a third-place finish for the 2025 National League Rookie of the Year Award.

The Red Sox made a great move

Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin (21) rounds second base after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies Monday, September 1, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So, why Durbin? The rumors out there pointed to Isaac Paredes, Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw, but none of them ended up being the guy the Red Sox brought to town. After the deal got done, Speier broke down why the Red Sox weren't able to find a fit with the trio.

"The Sox hadn’t been able to find a fit on Paredes or the Cubs’ players - particularly given the unwillingness to explore [Connelly Early] or [Payton Tolle]," Speier wrote. "The Astros hadn’t been interested in Duran-for-Paredes, either. In Durbin, the Sox got an IF upgrade while drawing from depth in Harrison, Drohan, Hamilton. ...

"With Durbin, the Sox feel comfortable with their infield mix. They can be opportunistic if another upgrade becomes available at what they deem a reasonable cost, but they no longer feel like they need to add."

So, it certainly would appear that the sticking point in talks around the league was the young starters in Early and Tolle. Also, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow opened up about why the club thinks Durbin will have success in Boston.

"Really like a lot of what Caleb brings to the table, strong defender, strong bat to ball skills. Really versatile, right-handed hitter," Breslow said, as transcribed by The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey. I also feel like he's a good fit for our park just given the profile of hitting the ball in the air to the pull side. ...

"I think he has a 20 percent air pull metric last year. I feel like that will play well at Fenway. Versatility, in terms of where he can play and still feel like his best days are ahead of him given his age and control. We're excited to get him into our organization."

So, the Red Sox have years of control of an intriguing, young infielder and didn't have to deal away Early or Tolle. A big win for Boston.

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