Instant Reaction: Red Sox-Athletics Swing 1st Trade of MLB Offseason

The Boston Red Sox and Athletics have come together on the first trade of the MLB offseason.

Sep 30, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton (18) hits a double in the third inning against the New York Yankees during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The offseason has now arrived for all 30 teams across Major League Baseball and that means that changes can be made.

The Boston Red Sox have some work to do to get the 40-man roster into compliance within five days of the World Series coming to an end. On Thursday, Boston got into the action, just one day later after the World Series wrapped, and swung the first trade of the offseason, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

"First trade of the off-season. The Red Sox trade Nate Eaton to the Athletics," Nightengale wrote.

First trade of the off-season. The Red Sox trade Nate Eaton to the Athletics

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 29, 2026

MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo followed up and reported that the deal is for a minor league player. Francys Romero of Beisbolfr.com reported that the minor leaguer coming to Boston is 18-year-old right-handed pitching prospect Jareth Rayo.

Rayo signed with the Athletics in October of 2025. His first season in professional baseball came in 2026. He made 11 appearances in the Dominican Summer League in the Athletics' organization. Rayo logged a 5.50 ERA in 36 innings pitched.

Eaton was a fast fan favorite in Boston and started at least one playoff game for the Red Sox in each of the last two seasons. But this move makes a lot of sense. Again, the Red Sox have some roster gymnastics to sort through right away this offseason. Patrick Sandoval and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have officially gone to free agency. Sonny Gray will likely join them. Still, due to all of the injuries in 2026 and guys on the 60-man Injured List, Boston still has four spots to clear, beyond the three guys heading to free agency.

Trading Eaton clears one of those 40-man roster spots. Eaton is a good player. In 2025, he played in 41 games for the Red Sox in the majors and slashed .296/.348/.383 with a .731 OPS, one home run, four RBIs, nine stolen bases and four doubles. In 2026, he didn't get the same opportunity. He played in just 24 games, but he was a 0.5 WAR player over that stretch. In comparison, he was a 0.2 WAR player in 2025.

With a bigger opportunity, he's someone who can be a solid role player on a big league roster. Hopefully, that is the case with the Athletics. In Boston, there's simply too much talent in the outfield to the point that Eaton didn't have a path to playing time. So, the Red Sox clear a 40-man spot and bring back an intriguing young hurler. A win-win.