The offseason has officially begun and the Boston Red Sox have not been able to start slowly, to say the least.
On Thursday, both Patrick Sandoval and Isiah Kiner-Falefa officially entered free agency. That's not all, though. Boston traded speedy fan favorite Nate Eaton to the Athletics in exchange for minor league pitching prospect Jareth Rayo. The transactions didn't stop there. Boston also traded infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the Detroit Tigers, per Andrew Parker of SoxProspects.com .
"Another trade: Red Sox are trading IF Tsung-Che Cheng to the Tigers for cash, I'm told," Parker wrote on X. "Clears another 40-man roster spot."
Jun 17, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng (39) greets third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) after scoring in the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Jaiden Tripi-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The reason why the Red Sox have had to be so quick with their movements this offseason is because of the fact that they have to trim down the 40-man roster within five days of the World Series. Boston entered the offseason needing to trim the roster down by seven, thanks to all the players on the 60-day Injured List. Sandoval and Kiner-Falefa going to free agency cleared two spots. Trading Eaton and Cheng clears two more. If Sonny Gray's mutual option is turned down, which is very, very likely, that will be another spot cleared. Then, Boston will have two to go.
The young shortstop had a cup of coffee in the majors with Boston in 2026. The 25-year-old played in 14 games with Boston between June and July when the organization started to turn the 2026 season around . He slashed .256/.318/.282 with a .600 OPS, five RBIs, one double and seven runs scored.
At the end of the day, this move makes a lot of sense. The middle infield is an area for Boston that has some question marks heading into 2027, but there is so much talent that Cheng wouldn't have had a pathway to playing time. Curtis Mead, Trevor Story , Nick Sogard, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler and even Franklin Arias all have more of a path than Cheng would have.
So, the Red Sox were able to clear a roster spot by cutting ties with a player who very likely wouldn't have impacted the big league roster much, if at all, in 2027. Trimming down the roster at this point in the offseason is no easy feat. Moving on from Cheng was at least an obvious choice. Now, the Red Sox still have work to do and it's not going to get easier from here on out.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/onsi as Red Sox Trade Shortstop to Tigers as Roster Shakeup Continues .
