Red Sox Reportedly No Longer Chasing Offense, Eyeing Sell-Off

The last three days have been good for the Boston Red Sox, but that doesn't mean that their season has completely turned around yet.

Boston took the first three games of a four-game series at home against the New York Yankees. On Sunday, the Red Sox will go for the sweep with Sonny Gray on the mound against Carlos Rodón. It has been a good weekend, but even with the three straight wins, Boston is 11 games under .500 and five games out of an American League Wild Card spot. One thing that is a bit surprising is the fact that Boston actually has a positive run differential this season (+4), despite being 11 games under .500. In comparison, the five teams ahead of the Red Sox (Houston Astros, Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and the Minnesota Twins) on the outside looking in on the Wild Card race all of negative run differentials. Plus, the Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers, who would be in the playoffs if the season ended today, also have negative run differentials.

Should Boston Try To Add Or Sell?

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow — Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Boston Red Six chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Maybe the Yankees series is the start of something new, but there's a lot of work to do. The 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline is just over one month away and will take place on Aug. 3. Right now, Boston shouldn't close any doors, but a sale would make more sense than buy with how the standings currently look. There's time for that to change, but that's how the team looks right now. On Sunday, MassLive.com's Sean McAdam shared that an anonymous executive told him that they "haven't heard a word" about Boston looking to add, only subtract.

"Not long ago, the Red Sox were putting out feelers that they were in search of some offense to save their season, with a willingness to take on a bloated contract to facilitate a deal," McAdam wrote. "The talk may have been futile, given how hard it is to make a trade months before the deadline. Either way, the search has been called off.

“I haven’t heard a word about them adding,” said one major league executive. “Just selling.”

The big question here: Is this the right call?

Right now, this should be considered the right call. Boston has shown some life throughout the Yankees series, but is this team going to contend for a title this year? The American League is bad. But there are juggernauts in the National League, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Milwaukee Brewers who Boston would not be able to get through if it somehow turned its season around and made it through a weak American League playoff pool. This just doesn't seem like the season for the Red Sox.

There was a time, a few weeks ago, when all of the rumors around the club had to do with adding. So much so that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow publicly talked about how he's looking to add. Red Sox president and chief executive officer Sam Kennedy also talked about how the club was looking for offense. Reports surfaced indicating that trade talks around the team had gotten to the point in which ownership was calling around to "grease the skids."

Clearly, things have changed. If the Red Sox keep this winning streak going and get closer to .500, maybe things could change again. But right now, this club is closer to selling than buying and the guys to watch are Sonny Gray and Aroldis Chapman, above all else. For a team that isn't close to contention, adding high-impact pieces who could help as soon as 2027 should be the goal.

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