Boston Red Sox
“There’s been conversations going on earlier than ever before on that front.”
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and president Sam Kennedy are already talking to teams about adding a hitter. Barry Chin/Globe Staff
May 22, 2026 | 6:48 PM
3 minutes to read
The 22-27 Boston Red Sox have come up short offensively all season.
With the departures of Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman last year and injuries to sluggers like Roman Anthony this year, their lineup has often struggled to score runs and consistently left runners in scoring position.
Third baseman Caleb Durbin has been one of MLB’s worst hitters and has found himself on the bench in favor of Nick Sogard in recent games. Shortstop Trevor Story, coming off a spectacular 2025 season at the plate, just underwent hernia surgery and could miss significant time.
Those factors combined have resulted in a disappointing season through 49 games.
Boston’s starting pitching has largely been as advertised despite early-season problems and ace Garrett Crochet’s lingering throwing shoulder inflammation. Its hitting is what has cost the team countless games; thanks to an underwhelming American League, the Red Sox are only two games out of the league’s third wild-card spot.
The 2026 season is far from over, though. Boston just swept the Kansas City Royals and is looking to extend its win streak to four in Friday’s series opener against the Minnesota Twins.
The Red Sox front office is keenly aware of the roster’s offensive deficiencies despite their sweep in Kansas City. President Sam Kennedy said Friday the organization is having conversations about adding a bat “earlier than ever” as the team tries to claw its way back to .500.
“Yeah, there’s been conversations going on earlier than ever before on that front,” Kennedy said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “It’s obviously hard – the American League is so bunched up. There’s some National League teams that are, I’d say, more engaged in conversations than typical at this time in the year.
“But yeah, the question is: are Craig (Breslow) and his team in baseball operations trying to improve the team right now? The answer is yes. Will we be able to get a deal done or match up on something? I have no idea, is the truth. There’s conversations. There’s urgency, and that’s something that’s important. Hopefully something that could be done earlier rather in later, but there’s two ways to improve: with the existing group, and then new faces. We’re gonna try both of those.”
Boston is fairly middle-of-the-road in some team offensive stats despite league-worst numbers from players like Durbin, Story, and Jarren Duran. The Red Sox 15th in batting average (.240), 19th in on-base percentage (.314), but third-worst in slugging percentage (.366). They’re 13th in strikeout rate (22.3 percent) but are 24th in walk percentage (8.2 percent).
However, the team is severely lacking in two important categories. Their 181 runs are the second-least in MLB (behind the San Francisco Giants’ 173), and their 36 home runs are by far the second-lowest in the league (the Milwaukee Brewers have 33).
Needless to say, trading for a major-league proven bat would benefit the Red Sox if they want a chance at making the playoffs for a second straight year.
It’s a bit early to determine which teams are looking to sell and which players will be on the trade block (this year’s trade deadline is Aug. 3). The Giants and Cleveland Guardians did complete a trade involving catcher Patrick Bailey earlier this month, so a deal getting done this early wouldn’t be unprecedented.
Nevertheless, Spotrac listed these hitters as current trade candidates based on their contract situations and team performance:
2B Luis Arraez, Giants
1B Yandy Diaz, Tampa Bay Rays
CF Byron Buxton, Twins
3B Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati Reds (the Red Sox were linked to him in free agency this past offseason)
1B Christian Walker, Houston Astros
3B Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
Like the teams above, the Red Sox have yet to decide whether they will be buyers or sellers. But for the time being, it’s a good sign that they’re engaging in conversations with other teams about improving their lineup.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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