Two of the longest-standing, most heated rivals not only in the American League East but in all of baseball each have specific roster holes to fill as the 2024-2025 MLB offseason passes its traditional mid-point of New Year’s Day. The New York Yankees need to continue upgrading their offense after losing Juan Soto to free agency and at the same time, must replace another departed free agent, Gleyber Torres, in their infield.
For the Yankees’ arch-rival, the Boston Red Sox, the need is clear, and was stated in no uncertain terms by Boston chief of baseball operations on Monday. The team’s heavily left-handed offense must add “balance” by acquiring a right-handed bat for the lineup. In 2024, the Red Sox had outfielder Tyler O’Neill who belted 31 home runs from the right side despite missing 49 games with injuries.
But the Red Sox showed no real interest in retaining O’Neill who came cheaply in 2024 on a one-year, $5.85 million contract. The Canadian-born two-time Gold Glover subsequently signed with the Baltimore Orioles on a three-year deal for $49.5 million.
Yankees and Red Sox May Battle Over Twins Star Shortstop
Unless the Yankees can persuade free agent Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman to come to New York, an eventuality considered not likely by Yankee-watchers, the Yankees will need to go the trade route to fill their most pressing need. And the one name that keeps surfacing, at least over the past week, is Carlos Correa.
A shortstop who would need to make a position switch to second base if he joined the Yankees, the 30-year-old Correa was the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2012 MLB amateur draft, taken by the Houston Astros. Correa played the first seven years of his career in Houston and was a pivotal member of the Astros’ 2017 World Series championship team before signing with the Minnesota Twins in 2022.
Correa first signed a three-year, $105 million contract. Then after opting out following his first season in Minnesota, he re-signed on a six-year, $200 million deal.
But the Yankees may see their chances of drawing Correa away from the Twins blocked by none other than the Red Sox, if a new trade proposal by the WEEI radio network’s Play Tessie podcast becomes a reality. In a segment of the podcast titled “Who Says No?” Play Tessie host Nat Gordon proposes dealing the Red Sox’ top 2024 Rookie of the Year candidate to the Twins in a one-up deal for Correa.
In October, the Pohlad family who has owned the Twins since 1984 and is only the second ownership group in the Minnesota franchise’s history, announced that the team was up for sale. That put the team in “limbo,” the Play Tessie host said, creating a potential opening for the Red Sox to make a move the Twins’ highest-paid player, Correa.
Red Sox Could Deal Top 2024 Rookie Straight Up For Correa
“If Minnesota’s owner chooses to sell the team, that could open the Red Sox up to acquire Carlos Correa and just give up Wilyer Abreu,” said the host, on the podcast’s YouTube page. Would Boston and Minnesota agree to a one-for-one deal or would the Twins ask for more?”
Abreu placed sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2024. The lefty-swinging, Venezuelan right-fielder also won a Gold Glove in his rookie season for the Red Sox. Despite a freak injury in June when he sprained an ankle slipping the Red Sox dugout steps, he still cracked 15 home runs in just 399 at-bats.
A move to the Red Sox would reunite Correa with manager Alex Cora who was the Astros bench coach in the 2017 championship season. But joining the Yankees would create a potential clubhouse conflict because he is still seen as a villain in New York due to his involvement in the Astros sign-stealing scandal that some members of the Yankees blame for their ALCS defeat to Houston in that same 2017 season.
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AL East Arch-Rival Blocks Yankees $200 Million Shortstop Deal In New Trade Pitch