The Boston Red Sox may have made a grave mistake. This past offseason, Boston traded starting pitcher Kyle Harrison to the Brewers for infielder Caleb Durbin. The deal has aged like the finest of milk.
At the time, it seemed like a fair swap. Durbin was coming off a great season in Milwaukee, where he held an OPS of .721 and 2.8 WAR. The Red Sox, who had just lost All-Star Alex Bregman at the hot corner, needed a new third baseman.
Durbin felt like the safe pick with a high floor who could provide quality at-bats and a good glove. And what they gave up in return felt like more of a long-term project than an impact player.
Harrison, 24, was a top prospect with the San Francisco Giants before being acquired in the blockbuster Rafael Devers trade. The Red Sox saw arm talent that hadn’t quite matured at the MLB level, and thought they could refine it. Unfortunately, before finding diamonds, Boston shipped Harrison out of town.
Now, in 2026, Harrison is one of MLB’s best arms through the first month, and Durbin is one of baseball’s worst hitters. It’s hard to find a better way to characterize the 2026 Red Sox than this specific move–and the fans are sick of it.
MLB Reacts to The Harrison for Durbin Swap in Hindsight
Here’s what people are saying after the strong first month from Harrison:
Baseball Is Dead: “The new Kyle Harrison we’ve seen in 2026: Arm angle raised from 27 degrees to 33 degrees. Moved to the 1B side of the rubber. After failing to learn Connelly Early’s kick-change grip, Hayden Birdsong helped him crack the code over the offseason.”
Bryan McConville: “This is why Craig Breslow can not run the Boston Red Sox. Why on earth would you trade a 24-year-old lefty pitcher, who was a top 20-25 prospect in baseball a few years ago, for Caleb Durbin? If you’re trading Harrison, it’s for a middle-of-the-order bat, not a utility infielder.”
Josh Frydman: “The Brewers remain the Brewers despite trading away their ace pitcher this offseason because of moves like stealing Kyle Harrison from the Red Sox for a package headlined by Caleb Durbin.”
Brooks: “Selling high on Caleb Durbin was the right call. Late bloomer rookies typically fall off the face of the earth quickly. Harrison and Drohan have been excellent in Milwaukee. Why anyone would ever trade a pitcher to the Brewers is beyond me.”
Gordo: “Rafael Devers trade: Kyle Harrison -> Caleb Durbin. James Tibbs III -> 2 months of Dustin May. Jordan Hicks -> dumped with David Sandlin for Gage Ziehl. Jose Bello ->Still Here. Money Saved -> Ranger Suarez.”
The Red Sox Are Spiraling While The Brewers Are Thriving
The Red Sox are competing for the title of the most disappointing team of the season. Through 49 games, they own a record of 22-27, sitting in fourth place in the AL East.
Milwaukee, on the other hand, sits atop the NL Central at 29-15. There’s no doubt that the Harrison/Durbin swap played a major role. The southpaw’s sub-2.00 ERA would’ve been welcomed warmly in Beantown.
Boston’s general manager, Craig Breslow, has already been under verbal siege. If this move continues to snowball, it’ll be a hard misstep to shake.
Red Sox Traded 1.77 ERA Pitcher from Devers Trade for Caleb Durbin