The Boston Red Sox are likely to be the subject of considerable speculation as the Major League Baseball trade deadline approaches.
Although that’s to be expected, the sheer volume and boldness of the trade rumors circulating on social media this season seem unusually intense. There’s always some buzz around this time of year, but this season’s chatter feels especially excessive.
The Red Sox have been the subject of a lot of the noise and that continued on Tuesday. For example, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller made a list of eight “surprise” trade deadline candidates and mentioned outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
“Boston has an enviable logjam on its hands: too many outfielders worthy of everyday playing time,” Miller said. “Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela are the regulars for now. Rob Refsnyder is hitting incredibly well yet again as the primary LF/RF reserve. There’s been talk of re-converting Masataka Yoshida to an outfielder when his rehab assignment begins, seeing as how Rafael Devers is the primary DH now. And Roman Anthony is waiting in the wings, hitting well in Worcester as arguably the top prospect in all of baseball.
“That logjam resulted in speculation dating back to this past offseason that the Red Sox might consider trading away Abreu, even after a 2024 campaign in which he won a Gold Glove and placed sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year vote. Could they move Rafaela instead, though? Plenty of contenders can’t be thrilled with the production they’ve gotten out of their center fielders thus far this season.”
Rafaela recently signed an eight-year, \$50 million contract with the Red Sox, and the team shouldn’t trade him just for the sake of making a move. At only 24, he’s a highly skilled player with plenty of potential. While Boston will undoubtedly face some tough decisions, there’s still plenty of time before the trade deadline arrives.
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