Red Sox Trade Idea Lands Mick Abel to Improve Rotation

Red Sox Trade Idea Lands Mick Abel to Improve Rotation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Boston Red Sox have seemingly already mortgaged their promising 2025 season to build for the future. And although there is a Rafael Devers-sized hole to fill in their shallow lineup (in addition to the ugly losing streak that followed), CBO Craig Breslow still believes the team is better than it was before. In recent remarks, Breslow outlined his trade deadline plans, which prioritize a new starting pitcher.

“We can say our starting pitching has been inconsistent,” he said. “That is absolutely true. But we also have some guys who are starting to turn the corner. We want to make sure when we identify an area we can improve, we’re improving what the alternatives that we have here.”

Indeed, Breslow still intends to buy even though he sold his most valuable hitter. This is the baseball equivalent of having your cake and eating it too, that is, if it all works out. But what if Breslow made a trade that would sell off a few important players yet still benefit this season and for the foreseeable future? That is one idea Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer recently proposed, suggesting the Red Sox send Aroldis Chapman and Rob Refsnyder to the Philadelphia Phillies for their No. 5 prospect, Mick Abel.

“The Sox could delay picking a trade-deadline lane until after they face the Cubs, Phillies, and Dodgers in a potentially determinative nine-game stretch coming out of the All-Star break,” Lauber wrote.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) makes a pitching change during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

“If it goes poorly, it doesn’t make sense for them to hold on to Chapman. He still throws smoke and has chopped his walk rate in half since last season. But he’s 37 and not a candidate for the $21-million-plus free-agent qualifying offer because he might actually accept it.

“Lefty-hitting Jarren Duran is the Sox’s biggest outfield chip despite regressing after a breakout 2024 season. But a better fit for the Phillies might be Rob Refsnyder, who bats right-handed and mashes lefties (.569 slugging, .972 OPS).”

Both Chapman and Refsyder will be free agents next year and would be solid improvements over Max Kepler and Jordan Romano. For the Red Sox, bringing in Abel could solidify the rotation for years to come. In 23.1 innings this season, Abel owns a 3.47 ERA.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.

Red Sox Trade Idea Lands Mick Abel to Improve Rotation

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