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The Boston Red Sox have gone the trade route a couple of times this offseason to bolster their squad ahead of the 2026 MLB season. Boston have acquired the likes of Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras via trade. Moreover, the Red Sox might not be making trades ahead of spring training.
Nonetheless, Boston also went the free-agent route to improve its pitching with the signing of Ranger Suárez. Still, it appears the marquee upgrades to the team will come through the trade route, as the Red Sox are linked to Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes.
In a Feb. 7 video from Crush City Territory, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that talks for Paredes have intensified. Moreover, Rome reveals that as many as five teams have shown aggressive interest, including the Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates.
“There are two that I’ll be willing to share, but I want to stress that just because I say these two, it doesn’t mean that it’s going to get done with these two teams,” Rome said. “They’ve got other teams interested. They’ve already made one three‑team deal this winter.
“Maybe another team comes in to help one of these five teams that are interested to get it done. But suffice to say, it’s not just these two teams, but the Boston Red Sox, as we know, they remain interested in Paredes. And then, according to people I’ve talked to, the Pittsburgh Pirates have also picked up.”
Isaac Paredes Generating Lots of Interest
Furthermore, it appears Paredes might be the only player the Astros are looking to deal, which bodes well for the Red Sox.
“I can tell you, in conversations within the last 48 to 72 hours, as the talks have intensified, there appears to be some pretty direct motivation, and it appears to be now that things are gaining some momentum,” Rome noted.
“I have only heard Isaac Paredes being talked about as among those what they’re gaining momentum in. He is the guy that I keep hearing is the one that is being sought after the most. I’ve heard as many as five teams have shown legitimate and aggressive interest in Isaac Paredes.”
Red Sox Urged to Make Another Trade
While the Paredes is solid reported interest from the Red Sox, there’s another trade target that Boston should consider. Former MLB general manager Steve Phillips believes that the Red Sox should pursue Washington Nationals’ CJ Abrams, who appears to be on the trade market.
“The Red Sox need to pivot, call the Washington Nationals, Paul Toboni, who left Boston, and go get CJ Abrams to play second base,” Phillips said in a Feb. 3 video posted by MLB Network Radio. “That’s the move for the Boston Red Sox. He’ll be a great second baseman. He’s a bad shortstop. He’ll be a very good second baseman. That’s the move they need to make right now.”
After losing out on Alex Bregman, who left after one season in Boston to sign with the Chicago Cubs, Phillips believes Abrams would be an ideal alternative for their lineup.
“[The Red Sox] were in on Bregman,” Phillips added. “They were in on [Bo] Bichette [and] were in on Eugenio [Suárez]. They were in on [Nolan] Arenado [and] were in on [Brendan] Donovan. Didn’t get any of them. Now go get C.J. Abrams; play him at second base. You’ve got protection if you need it at shortstop.
“That’s where I go next. You’ve got a connection there like Chaim Bloom has had with the Red Sox. Toboni has that relationship with the Red Sox, too. He knows who he likes, what he wants. I think relationships matter in these deals, and I think that’s the next pivot for Boston.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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