Story by
Red Sox trade of outfielder (Jarren Duran? Wilyer Abreu?) was ‘never likely’ in Craig Breslow’s mind
- Story by
- Red Sox trade of outfielder (Jarren Duran? Wilyer Abreu?) was ‘never likely’ in Craig Breslow’s mind
BOSTON — With just over four weeks before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, it would seem the Red Sox still have more outfielders than available spots . That doesn’t mean a trade is imminent.
Speaking at the team’s Fenway Fest on Saturday in Boston, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said, despite industry rumors that someone like Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu would likely be moved this winter, that he never thought a trade involving an outfielder was necessary before Opening Day.
Advertisement
“It was never likely in my mind,” Breslow said. “We’ve got really talented outfielders. When teams call, that’s what other executives point to. They’re young, they’re controllable, they’re dynamic, they’re talented and can impact games in multiple ways. It’s really nice to be able to say they’re also members of the Boston Red Sox .”
As of now, Boston has Abreu, Duran, Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela at the top of the depth chart with Masataka Yoshida and Kristian Campbell also on the roster as outfield options. Depth players Nate Eaton, Romy Gonzalez and Nick Sogard could also factor into the mix, especially after Boston traded Jhostynxon Garcia to Pittsburgh and lost free agent Rob Refsnyder to Seattle . If nothing changes before Opening Day, the Red Sox would likely start three of their four outfielders on defense and have the other in the lineup as the designated hitter. That would take opportunities away from Yoshida as well as Triston Casas , who is without a positional home after the Sox traded for Willson Contreras .
Earlier in the day, manager Alex Cora said that he preferred Rafaela (in center field) and Abreu (in right, even against left-handed starters) to man their positions in the vast majority of Boston’s games . That would leave Duran and Anthony to share left field duties with the other serving as the DH most days. Both have the ability to move around the outfield as well.
Daily mixing and matching would be a big part of Cora’s duties, though injuries — like the ones suffered by Abreu and Anthony late in the year — tend to resolve depth issues naturally.
Advertisement
“We talked a lot about our outfield depth, even calling it a surplus at times, coming out of the trade deadline,” Breslow said. “Then, for the month of September, we were without two very, very good players. I’ve yet to meet the person who says, ‘We have too many good players.’
“Alex is really, really talented as it relates to communicating with players, to getting the most out of them and to keeping them fresh and engaged. Going into spring training with the group we have is something I’d be comfortable with in terms of the outfield, but if there are opportunities to improve the team and address other needs via that group, we have to at least be willing to listen.”
One solution that does not appear to be on the table is Rafaela seeing significant time at second base, where he played 165 innings over 24 games (19 starts) in 2025. The Red Sox want the reigning winner of the American League Gold Glove in center field to play that position as often as possible. Of course, failing in their pursuits of top free agents Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette could force the Red Sox to get creative at second base, where Marcelo Mayer is also an option.
“Ceddanne is an incredibly gifted athlete and can impact the game in so many ways...,” Breslow said. “He is game-changing in center field. We saw that this year. Giving him the consistency of playing the same position every single day also has benefits to his offense.
Advertisement
More Red Sox coverage
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
