The Boston Red Sox have suddenly surged back into postseason contention. They finished the first half of 2026 by sweeping a nine-game road trip and coming to within two games of .500 and a half-game of the third American League wild card spot.
Several weeks ago, it appeared as though they were out of contention, but they are suddenly back in the race. Instead of selling at the trade deadline, they might be buyers instead.
Selling isn’t completely off the table, however, and it doesn’t even necessarily mean punting on the season. If they do sell, All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman is somebody who could be on the move, and Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller listed one of his old teams, the Chicago Cubs as a possible trade fit.
“Selling is no longer the sure thing it seemed to be a few weeks ago,” Miller wrote.
“If they do end up back on that road, though, Chapman is probably going to be the first domino to fall. We only listed a few above, but darn near every team could use the best reliever who might be available. And if Chapman does get shipped out, (Willson) Contreras and Sonny Gray might not be far behind him.”
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Because the Red Sox are hot right now, it would seem that selling is unlikely at the present moment. But another thing they could potentially do is make moves in both directions, clearing out spots for younger players, but also improving areas of the roster and not fully conceding the season.
It took a while for them to click after firing Alex Cora, but the Red Sox seem to have found their groove. Still, where they are in the next few weeks could shape what they do, but they have a lot of options that they can pursue.
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