The Boston Red Sox are expected to be heavily involved in trade talks throughout the upcoming offseason. Getting star catcher Adley Rutschman to sign a multi-year extension will be a priority for Craig Breslow. However, the team’s Chief Baseball Officer would also likely love to offload a couple of underperforming stars.
Jarren Duran has been linked to a move out of Boston for years now. Despite this, the polarizing outfielder remains with the Red Sox. The club would also be very interested in letting go of Trevor Story. The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey discussed the team’s chances of trading both players in their latest column. According to the reporter, offloading the duo would allow the Red Sox to make significant signings.
One of these acquisitions would be to bring in Brandon Lowe as the starting second baseman for the Boston Red Sox. The move, however, would cost Breslow a significant piece. “Lowe is likely to receive a one-year qualifying offer from Pittsburgh,” writes McCaffrey. “If he rejects the QO, any team signing him for more than $50 million would have to give up a pick after the first round in the 2027 draft.”
Lowe is widely expected to receive more than $50 million in free agency this winter. The All-Star was paid $11.5 million by the Pirates this past season. Nevertheless, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently projected the infielder to earn a new contract worth around $75 million over three years. If so, he would become one of the highest-paid second basemen in baseball by average annual salary.
Boston Red Sox Would Love to add Brandon Lowe to the Middle of Their Lineup
Giving up a quality draft pick and shelling out $75 million could be a risky move by the Boston Red Sox. Despite this, Lowe has proven to be one of the better players at his position. In fact, his 35 home runs, .493 slugging, and .824 OPS led all MLB second basemen in 2026. The veteran’s defense has typically been a concern during his career. However, as McCaffrey points out, his play at the position was solid in 2026.
Boston had somewhat of a revolving door at second base in 2026. Anthony Seigler made the most appearances in the role this past season, but played just 49 games. Breslow acquired Curtis Mead in July from the Washington Nationals to become the starter at the position. Nevertheless, the slugger suffered a wrist fracture in his first game with Boston. The issue kept Mead out of the lineup for the remainder of the season.
Boston can Move Pieces Around to Make Room for Star
As of now, Mead is penciled in as the starting second baseman for the Boston Red Sox in 2027. However, if Breslow can make some deals in the coming months, including landing Lowe, the former National could be moved to another role. The infielder has plenty of MLB experience at third base. Boston already has Caleb Durbin in the position looking ahead, though.
As a result, the Red Sox may use Mead as their primary designated hitter for the upcoming campaign. Boston’s DH’s combined to post a fairly lackluster .415 slugging rate in 2026. The star infielder had a .500 slugging percentage with Washington before being dealt this summer.
Red Sox Linked to $75 Million Star Infielder in Roster Shakeup