The Boston Red Sox have turned their season around after the postseason looked like a longshot. They have won 10 straight games and are in a position to add players at the trade deadline.
The Red Sox bullpen has been a strength of the team. Their 3.44 bullpen ERA is the fifth-best in baseball, but that does not mean they should neglect adding to the group.
Aroldis Chapman was an All-Star this season and has a 1.18 ERA with 17 saves. However, he will be a free agent after the season. The Red Sox could target a closer with club control to help them this season and beyond.
Landing a closer with club control would require a decent package. However, unlike most contenders, the Red Sox have an All-Star that they could be looking to trade away. Jarren Duran is under club control through 2028 and may be the odd man out in the outfield. CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa predicted the Red Sox would use Duran to land Emmanuel Clase from the Cleveland Guardians.
“Boston has more good outfielders than outfield spots and the Guardians can spare an end-of-game reliever,” wrote Axisa. “I will not predict a one-for-one trade — I’ll say there will be more pieces involved to even things out — but Clase for Duran will be the meat of it. The Red Sox get a late-inning dominator and clear the way for a Roman Anthony/Ceddanne Rafaela/Wilyer Abreu outfield. The Guardians get 3 ½ years of a power/speed threat who can play center field, which is exactly the kind of player they can never afford in free agency. Cleveland won’t give Clase away. To trade him, they’ll need to get multiple years of an all-around impact player, and that’s Duran.”
There aren’t many relievers who could remove Chapman from the closer’s role this year. However, Clase is one who could make Chapman a setup man. Clase has been one of the most dominant relievers over the last few seasons. Since 2022, he has a 1.92 ERA and 153 saves. He led baseball in saves in 2022 and 2023. Last season, he had a 0.61 ERA and 47 saves.
This year, he has a 2.91 ERA and 20 saves. However, since the start of May, he has a 1.20 ERA and 15 saves. He would be a luxury addition for the Red Sox this year. He and Chapman could essentially start putting the game away in the eighth inning. However, he is under club control through 2028 and would give the Guardians stability at closer beyond just this year.
Meanwhile, Duran, who was an All-Star last season, has seen a slight decline. However, he is still slashing .258/.318/.431. He has been floated in trade rumors all year. Anthony is not going to be traded, Rafaela has already signed an extension and Abreu is younger than Duran with more club control, making Duran the likeliest from the group to be dealt.
