The Boston Red Sox will prioritize pitching upgrades ahead of the MLB trade deadline, but two other positions could also be on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s radar as the club gears up for a postseason push.
If the Red Sox pursue position players over the next two weeks, their focus should be on first base and catcher. Triston Casas’ season-ending injury has forced a platoon of Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez at first, and while rookie backstop Carlos Narvaez has been excellent, backup catcher Connor Wong has struggled mightily all season.
That said, the Toro/Gonzalez platoon has performed well enough that finding a full-time first baseman is no longer atop Breslow’s to-do list.
“At one point, we would have said, ‘Our first baseman is out for the year.’ But then you look at what (Abraham) Toro and Romy (Gonzalez) have been able to do platooning over there and that’s the equivalent of a really good first baseman,” Breslow said, via MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “We’ll be open-minded but based on the performance we’re getting right now, I don’t think it’s a massive, glaring hole.”
At this point, catching depth may take precedence over first basemen. Wong is slashing just .149/.235/.149 with no homers and one RBI in 34 games. Narvaez has stepped up as one of the league’s best catchers this season, but he shouldn’t be expected to maintain that pace throughout the grueling second half of his rookie campaign.
So, which position players could the Red Sox target before the July 31 trade deadline? Here are five that stand out as potential options:
Ryan O’Hearn, 1B/DH, Baltimore Orioles
O’Hearn struggled for his first five seasons in Kansas City, but he immediately blossomed into a legitimate offensive threat upon being traded to Baltimore in 2023. He just played in his first All-Star Game after entering the break with a .286/.382/.458 slash line, 11 homers, and 34 RBI in 82 games.
O’Hearn would be an upgrade over Toro, though the 31-year-old has struggled against left-handed pitching this season. In this scenario, Boston would continue to let Gonzalez rake against southpaws.
The last-place Orioles could be motivated to move O’Hearn as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.
Josh Naylor, 1B/DH, Arizona Diamondbacks
Like O’Hearn, Naylor is a left-handed-hitting first baseman who tends to struggle against southpaws. His numbers this season are eerily similar to O’Hearn’s: a .294/.361/.456 slash line with 11 homers and 58 RBI for the fourth-place Diamondbacks.
Naylor, 28, is also set to become a free agent after this season. He was an All-Star last year with the Cleveland Guardians.
Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers
If the Red Sox prefer a right-handed-hitting first baseman, Hoskins could be their guy. The 32-year-old veteran is slashing .242/.340/.428 with 12 homers and 42 RBI in 82 games for Milwaukee, and his swing could play well in Fenway Park.
Hoskins is enjoying a bounce-back year with the Brew Crew. He struggled in 2024 after missing all of 2023 due to a torn ACL.
He’s a free agent after this season.
Christian Vazquez, C, Minnesota Twins
Vazquez has always been more of a defensive backstop, but he had some solid offensive seasons during his tenure in Boston. He won’t be counted on to provide much offensively if he returns for a second stint, but his defense and veteran leadership would undoubtedly make him an upgrade over Wong as the Red Sox’ backup catcher.
The two-time World Series champion would be an invaluable voice in the Red Sox clubhouse for their playoff push. He’d be a great mentor for Narvaez, who will face pressure to match his impressive first-half performance over these last few months.
Vazquez’s contract is set to expire after this season.
Korey Lee, C, Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have a surplus of catchers. They acquired Blake Sabol from the Red Sox earlier this week and traded for their top catching prospect, Kyle Teel, in the Garrett Crochet deal last offseason. Perhaps they’ll send a backstop Boston’s way this time.
If Chicago parts ways with one of its catchers, it appears Lee would be the odd man out. The soon-to-be 27-year-old has spent most of his time in Triple-A this year, tallying six homers with a .781 OPS in 34 games. He notched 12 homers in 125 games last season for the big-league club.
While Lee still has plenty of developing to do at the plate, he’s considered a glove-first catcher with a cannon arm. That, and the fact he’s under team control through 2029, should intrigue a Red Sox organization that has a glaring lack of catching depth.
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