Red Sox All-Star Labeled Potential 'Trade Bait' With Tigers in Play

Another year of early seller talk...

Mar 7, 2021; Lakeland, Florida, USA; A general view of the Detroit Tigers script logo on the building at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium during the spring training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Ah, early trade talk. How we've missed it around these parts.

It might seem like forever ago, but the Boston Red Sox were considered potential sellers for most of the first half of last season. Before they heated up in early July, they were languishing a couple of games below .500, and we were talking about trades involving the likes of Jarren Duran, Aroldis Chapman, and maybe even Walker Buehler.

This year, the Red Sox deserve the early seller talk, even if they wind up escaping it with better play in the next couple of months. But what complicates matters is that one of their top trade candidates -- starting pitcher Sonny Gray -- is on the injured list.

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If Gray is available, Tigers likely to be a suitor?

Apr 14, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com took things a step further than merely pointing out Gray as a trade deadline candidate. The insider identified the Detroit Tigers, who just lost ace Tarik Skubal to the injured list for at least the next couple of months after elbow surgery, as potential suitors.

"If Boston ultimately becomes a seller, Sonny Gray could become trade bait come July," wrote Feinsand. "The Red Sox are off to a disappointing start, though even entering Monday at 13-21, Boston was only three games back in the (American League) Wild Card race; in fact, no team in the AL was more than 3 1/2 games out of a playoff spot with three-quarters of the season still to be played."

Gray was meant to be a win-now piece for the Red Sox, who got the St. Louis Cardinals to pay down $20 million of the $41 million he was owed over the final year of his contract, plus a buyout, in exchange for two solid young pitchers.

Pivoting to unload whatever they could of Gray's contract for prospects in return would be a tough sell for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, who proclaimed his intentions to be a World Series contender over the winter, then fired manager Alex Cora two weeks ago when things weren't going to plan.

So in addition to looking for suitors like the Tigers, we've got to start asking ourselves how bad things would have to get for the Red Sox to become sellers. If they keep playing to a .400 winning percentage, it will eventually happen, but the decision is likely to be more complicated by July.