The Red Sox have magically turned their season around. Coming up on late June, the assumption was that everyone, except guys like Ceddanne Rafaela, Ranger Suarez, and Garrett Crochet, could be linked to a trade to prepare for next season and so on. Recently, however, they’ve gone 20-2 since June 25th, not only erasing an 11-game under .500 record, but in the process, fighting their way back into the playoffs. They are almost certainly bound to be buyers at the deadline.
Red Sox Trade Deadline Preview: Possible Hitters to Acquire
Areas Of Need
A recent report from MLB’s Marc Feinsand has reported the Red Sox have several needs to approach at this year’s Trade Deadline. These are the following needs from a hitting perspective:
- Right-handed bat (main priority), which can be:
- Catcher
- Middle Infielder
- Designated Hitter
For the most part, it seems like a noteworthy list of needs, certainly some they could’ve addressed during the offseason. But here they are, looking to add pieces to make that extra push. So here are some ideas of who to acquire:
How the @MLB division races will affect contenders’ Deadline plans https://t.co/2PI63HkzUi
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 23, 2026
Catcher
- Shea Langeliers, Athletics
- Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies
- Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins
The catching position has been a noteworthy topic for the Red Sox organization this year. To start, Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong were splitting time. Then Mickey Gasper was called up and started taking Narvaez’s playing time, which was discussed publicly. Regardless, a good-hitting catcher, power or otherwise, would be good to have. After all, the last time a Red Sox catcher had 20+ homers was Christian Vazquez in 2018, and the last to have multiple seasons of that was Jason Varitek.
The other issue has been defensive. Narvaez had originally broken out on the scene defensively, throwing out a league-high 32 runners. But this year, he’s only thrown out seven, which puts his caught-stealing percentage at 18.9%, notably below the league average of 22.8%. Throw in the four errors, four passed balls, and 10 wild pitches, and he’s taken a massive step back.
So naturally, one of them might be moved for an upgrade this August. And while Jeffers has a good batting average at .283 (as of July 25th), and the best in some defensive stats (one passed ball compared to Goodman’s four and Langeliers’s seven), he doesn’t quite have the pop that the other two possess.
Goodman has more homers (31) and generally seems like the better hitter overall, as well as one of the biggest trade pieces available. But with 23 homers and his type of spray chart this season, Langeliers seems like the type of guy that’s built for hitting bombs to left at Fenway Park. Also, it helps that he’s pretty solid defensively (.996 fielding percentage compared to .992 league average for a catcher, as well as four DRS).
Verdict: Lean Langeliers, but would be okay with Goodman.
Middle Infielder
- Zach Neto, SS, Los Angeles Angels
- Luis Arraez, 2B, San Francisco Giants
- CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals
The Red Sox have a complicated middle infield situation right now. Last year, they thought they had found the future of that area with Kristian Campbell at second base and Marcelo Mayer at shortstop. Fast forward to July of 2026, Campbell is back in Triple-A Worcester and Mayer, while injured right now, has been struggling this season at the plate. Throw in Trevor Story’s injury and the team’s left with a rotation of Anthony Seigler, Andruw Monasterio, and Tsung Che Cheng (with an occasional Romy Gonzalez second base outing).
Neto has been a name tossed around, mainly because the Angels are on the outer edge of any playoff chances. With an aging Mike Trout (who the Red Sox have checked in on before), it might be time just to hit the reset button. But like Goodman, Neto is a guy with 30+ home run potential that Los Angeles may be reluctant to give up. As of July 25th, he has 19 homers with two full months left to go. The Red Sox may have to give up top prospects, but a guy like Neto that would solve the infield problems could be worth it. And their system’s deep enough.
Should Boston take a big swing at another position, Arraez could be a serviceable option. He doesn’t quite have the pop in his bat (four homers), but he does get on base with a .324 average, and he rarely strikes out (4.2%, in the 10th percentile in the entire league). There’s also Abrams, who may not be on the market unless a “godfather-like” option comes in, but the Red Sox have been in rumors for him before.
Verdict: Neto, but if acquiring Shea/Goodman, Arraez
Designated Hitter
- Luis Garcia Jr., Nationals
- Jorge Soler, Angels
- Taylor Ward, Baltimore Orioles
Designated hitter has been handled unconventionally by Boston this season. With the outfield logjam that they’ve had thus far, the odd one out (whether Jarren Duran or Masataka Yoshida) has taken up the DH spot for the most part this season, and it’s had weird results. While Duran has 13 homers, his average is concerning. And while Yoshida’s average is good and he gets on base, he doesn’t quite possess the consistent power traits that are seen in a DH.
Introducing Garcia Jr., who seems like the perfect candidate for the role. The Nationals first baseman is hitting .277 with 21 homers and 70 RBIs this season. He could be one of the right bats needed to push Boston into the contenders category. It might take some prospects and an infielder, especially if the Nationals deal off Abrams somewhere as well, but a bat like Garcia is worth it. The one downside is that he’s a left-hander, but with multiple additions being possible, and his ability to hit all over the field, it shouldn’t be too bad.
If not him, Soler is the veteran with championship experience that could help the Red Sox. He may not have the power he used to possess over his 13-year career, but he still crushes them to left field. Ward is another name to throw in there. Despite having a typical down year, he does have 25-30+ home run power. The one issue with these two would be that they’re two-month rentals, but they’re reliable options to get Boston to the playoffs.
Verdict: Garcia Jr.
The Last Word
Any of these batters could make an impact for the Red Sox, especially at home, which is needed for them, as evidenced by their home record, which is still below .500. An ideal deadline (hitting-wise) would be getting two of these players, but honestly, even getting one would be an achievement for this team. They should be doing anything they can to improve this lineup. And these guys could certainly give them a boost in the areas they need.
Main Photo Credits: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
