The Red Sox are careening toward the MLB trade deadline on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. ET, and have thus far made just one move, acquiring Steven Matz from the Cardinals. For a team that is standing at 58-51 with aspirations to break a four-year postseason drought, much more will need to be done. And, according to The Athletic, the expectation is that something will, indeed, be done.
The site reports that Boston was attempting to acquire slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Diamondbacks before Arizona ultimately chose to send him to Seattle. The plan was to play Suarez at first base.
That leaves open the possibility that the Red Sox will pivot to try to find another first basemen for Alex Cora’s crew before Thursday passes.
Red Sox ‘Remain Engaged’ on Pitchers, 1Bs
As of noon, The Athletic reported that, “With roughly six hours until the trade deadline, the Red Sox remain engaged with teams on starting pitching help and at first base, according to sources.”
With Suarez and teammate Josh Naylor–the D-Backs’ first baseman for most of this season–reuniting with the Mariners, the Red Sox’s options at first base are limited. They’ve long had eyes for 33-year-old Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz, but there have been questions about whether Tampa would give him up. The Rays gave Diaz an extension worth $12 million for 2026, with a conditional year in 2027.
Ryan O’Hearn of the Orioles is on an expiring contract and could be a cheap alternative for Boston.
Mitch Keller, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen on the Radar
But, as The Athletic noted, fixing the starting rotation is the big focus for Boston. And though they missed out on Suarez, they’re still in the market to pick apart the Diamondbacks.
“Boston has continued to pursue Arizona starters Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen and Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller as options for the front of the rotation. …
“Kelly (3.22 ERA) and Gallen (5.60 ERA) are both free agents this winter while Keller (3.69) has three more years of control. Given those years of control, Keller would demand more prospect capital and likely would require the Red Sox parting with at least two top prospects like outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and shortstop Franklin Arias.”
Red Sox Ex-GM Might Thwart Pitching Trade
A report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, though, suggests that the Pirates have pulled back on trading Keller. That could be a smokescreen of course, designed to drive up Keller’s price. But he would be an outstanding short-term and long-term fit for the Red Sox.
Pirates GM Ben Cherington, who once held that job for the Red Sox, said he likes the idea of Keller back in Pittsburgh to help lead the team’s youngsters.
“Yeah, I think the leadership certainly and just the proven performance,” Cherington said. “If we’re going to be better in 2026, we need more of that, not less. We would only contemplate giving up something that’s seemingly more proven if we really believe that they give us a better chance to be better by next year.”
Keller is under contract beyond this season, at a reasonable $15.4 million per year. He has a good resume, but has only been so-so this season. He leads the league with 22 starts, but has gone 4-10. The Pirates have been a poor team, though, so the more important numbers are his solid ERA (3.69) and WHIP (1.205).
Red Sox ‘Engaged’ on Trades at 2 Key Positions as MLB Deadline Nears