Crazy Red Sox trade lands Boston cost-effective All-Star slugger as potential replacement for Alex Bregman originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox are at a crossroads right now, as they have to decide if they are bringing back Alex Bregman after he opted out of his contract to test free agency. If they lose him, they’re going to have to find a suitable replacement.
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Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller had a wild trade idea for the Sox, having them trade for Tampa Bay Rays All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero. The trade would look like this:
Red Sox get: 3B Junior Caminero
Rays get: SS Franklin Arias, LHP Payton Tolle, OF Jhostynxon Garcia and RHP Kyson Witherspoon
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“They could re-sign Bregman. They could also let it ride with some combination of Marcelo Mayer, Nate Eaton and Nick Sogard at the hot corner. But Caminero darn near hit as many home runs as Boston’s top two sluggers combined—Trevor Story and Wilyer Abreu had a total of 47—and he would cost them a combined sum of, roughly, $1.7 million over his next two years of pre-arbitration,” Miller wrote. “It would be an expensive trade as far as prospects go, but it’s at least financially a preposterously cheap solution to arguably their biggest 2026 need. That would enable them to spend big elsewhere on a first baseman or a co-ace to pair with Garrett Crochet.”
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Last season, Caminero slashed .264/.311/.535/.846 with 28 doubles, 45 home runs, and 110 RBI in 154 games. He would be the leader for home runs by far for Boston and be the leader for RBI by a decent amount.
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Even if the Sox re-sign Bregman, looking at Caminero should be an option. If he can transition to first, the Sox could use the money they save getting him to pay for more pitching. And with that, they can basically lock themselves into a trip to the World Series.
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