Red Sox-Brewers Caleb Durbin Trade Now is an Absolute Win-Win

After the Boston Red Sox lost Alex Bregman in free agency this past offseason, they went looking around for a new third baseman to replace him.

A handful of names were tied to Boston throughout the offseason, but the move Craig Breslow and the Red Sox's front office ultimately made seemingly came out of nowhere. Boston and the Milwaukee Brewers came to terms on a deal that brought Caleb Durbin to the Red Sox in a package that centered around Kyle Harrison.

For the first few months of the season, the deal was viewed as an absolute win for Milwaukee and Bregman was consistently talked about as a miss by the organization. That isn't the case any longer. In fact, the deal actually is a massive win-win.

Full Caleb Durbin-Kyle Harrison

Aug 17, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) singled to left then on to second base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Red Sox Received: INF Caleb Durbin, INF Andruw Monasterio, INF Anthony Seigler, Competitive Balance Round B Draft pick (Owen Hull, OF)

Brewers Received: LHP Kyle Harrison, INF David Hamilton, LHP prospect Shane Drohan

Breakdown

Aug 18, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison (52) delivers a pitch agaiinst the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Initially, the deal skewed in Milwaukee's favor. Harrison has turned out to be a star, to say the least. The lefty has a 2.84 ERA in 20 starts for the Brewers across 98 1/3 innings of work. But the optics of this deal have completely shifted.

Let's take a look at every player from the deal.

Boston Red Sox

Caleb Durbin

Durbin has played in 119 games and is slashing .258/.328/.408 with a .736 OPS, 12 home runs, 62 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, 34 walks, 22 doubles, one triple and 62 runs. Arguably, he's the heart and soul of the 2026 Red Sox. This is a guy who struggled at the beginning of the season — like Boston in general — and then put together a turnaround for the ages. On top of his offensive turnaround, Durbin has been elite defensively. He's at 3.6 wins above replacement, which is already 0.9 wins above replacement higher than last season.

Andruw Monasterio

Monasterio has been quietly integral to the 2026 Red Sox. The 29-year-old is slashing .265/.324/.431 with a .755 OPS, six home runs, 37 RBIs, and 22 doubles in 86 games played. He's at 1.4 wins above replacement already and is the team's go-to shortstop right now.

Anthony Seigler

The spark plug and energy behind this Red Sox club. Seigler is slashing .252/.321/.403 with a .723 OPS, three home runs and 12 RBIs in 44 games played. The energy he has brought has been equally as important as his performance on the field.

Owen Hull

The 22-year-old is batting .304 in 11 games with High-A Greenville so far.

Milwaukee Brewers

Kyle Harrison

Again, Harrison is a star. He has a 2.84 ERA and a 122-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 98 1/3 innings pitched.

David Hamilton

Hamilton has slashed .239/.319/.333 with a .652 OPS, four home runs, 21 RBIs, 24 stolen bases, and 49 runs scored in 95 games played. Hamilton has 1.6 wins above replacement.

Shane Drohan

The rookie has a 3.86 ERA in 25 total appearances for the Brewers, including 14 starts, across 100 1/3 innings pitched.

Again, this is a deal that favored Milwaukee initially. But it would be difficult for a deal to be more of a win-win at this point.

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