The Red Sox traded left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino to the Rockies for 26-year-old infielder/outfielder Braiden Ward.

It was one of four trades that Boston made Tuesday. The Sox dealt lefty Chris Murphy to the White Sox for minor-league catcher Ronny Hernandez and righty Luis Guerrero to the Rays for infielder Tristan Gray. They also sent minor-league pitcher Alex Hoppe to the Mariners for 22-year-old catching prospect Luke Heyman.

The Red Sox’ busy Tuesday also included designating both first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and pitcher Josh Winckowski for assignment as well as selecting pitching prospects David Sandlin, Shane Drohan and Tyler Uberstine to the 40-man roster.

Ward, a left-handed hitter who has yet to make his major league debut, has elite speed. He was successful on 57-of-64 stolen base attempts in 97 games for Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025. He batted .290 with a .395 on-base percentage, .391 slugging percentage, .786 OPS, two home runs, 17 doubles, four triples, 37 RBIs and 74 runs in 368 plate appearances between the two levels. He posted a .331/.440/.466/.906 line in 44 games (163 plate appearances) at Triple-A.

The Rockies drafted him in the 16th round out of the University of Washington in 2021. He has a career .275/.395/.382/.776 line with 211 stolen bases in 414 career minor league games (1,497 plate appearances).

Ward never played above Double-A until this season. In his five minor league seasons, he has started 190 games in center field, 73 games in left field, 18 games in right field, 46 games at second base and two games at third base.

Bernardino posted a 3.14 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 55 outings (51 â…” innings) for Boston this season. Opponents have batted just .205 against him, but walks have been an issue (4.5 walks per nine innings). Originally acquired via waiver claim with just two big league appearances under his belt at age 30, Bernardino pitched in 167 games for the Red Sox over the last three years (153 â…“ innings) and posted a 3.46 ERA with 157 strikeouts. The 33-year-old was arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and projected (by MLBTradeRumors) to earn $1.1 million.

With Bernardino and Murphy both traded and veterans Steven Matz and Justin Wilson both free agents, the Red Sox have a real need to add left-handed relief to their bullpen before Opening Day.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.