The Boston Red Sox had to update their offseason plans after losing Alex Bregman in free agency, and wound up trading with the Milwaukee Brewers to acquire 26-year-old infielder Caleb Durbin.
After losing Bregman to the Chicago Cubs, the Red Sox frantically moved to round out their infield, and one potential option the team was interested in trading for was two-time All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes earlier in the offseason. Paredes excelled in his first season with the Houston Astros, mashing 20 home runs, but he would have cost the Red Sox far more than they traded for Durbin.
Trade talks between the Red Sox and Astros have reportedly stalled since Boston acquired Durbin, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
“The necessary move is to trade third baseman Isaac Paredes for a left-handed-hitting outfielder, an idea the Astros have discussed most thoroughly with the Boston Red Sox, according to people briefed on the discussions,” Rosenthal wrote Tuesday. “Talks stalled, however, and the clubs have not been in recent contact.
“The problem is that the Red Sox’s trade for Durbin improved their negotiating position while weakening the Astros’. Brown, then, might need to get creative, possibly involving a third team, possibly pivoting from the Red Sox entirely.”
The Astros have been actively seeking a left-handed hitting outfielder this offseason, with the Red Sox’s Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu both fitting the bill. Boston surprisingly held onto all of its outfielders this offseason, so it would make little sense to see there be traction between the two teams after the Red Sox acquired Durbin.
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