Boston Red Sox
Boston, in last place in the AL East, reportedly is fielding calls about numerous players with less than two months until MLB’s trade deadline.
The 27-35 Red Sox could be active in the trade market over the next two months. AP Photo/Steven Senne
June 6, 2026 | 6:00 PM
2 minutes to read
The Boston Red Sox have yet to decide whether they will be buyers or sellers this trade deadline, as is the case for most of the American League.
But discussions involving several Red Sox players reportedly are taking place, according to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey.
One player reportedly on the trade block is catcher Connor Wong, McCaffrey heard from a source.
Wong, who has fallen to the bottom of Boston’s catching totem pole in recent weeks, hasn’t hit a home run since 2024. He’s batting .264 on the year, a major improvement from his .190 mark last season.
But his .375 slugging percentage is a testament to his complete lack of power the last two years.
Behind the plate, Wong has been serviceable, but he hasn’t shown marked improvement since debuting in 2021. Per Baseball Savant, multiple of the 30-year-old’s catcher defense stats are below league average, including his -2 catching runs and -2 framing stats.
A broken pinkie finger Wong suffered in 2025 could still factor into his struggles over a year later. Catching is tough on the body, but with better options in Mickey Gasper and Carlos Narvaez, it makes sense that the organization is attempting to deal Wong. He won’t become an unrestricted free agent until 2029, giving potential suitors financial flexibility.
Within McCaffrey’s report, she reported teams are calling the Red Sox about the availability of closer Aroldis Chapman and high-leverage relievers Justin Slaten and Garrett Whitlock.
Boston, however, has told interested teams ‘no.’
“The Red Sox have said — for now — they have no interest in dealing anyone from that bullpen trio,” McCaffrey wrote.
Whitlock was placed on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation on May 28. He pitched one inning in a Saturday rehab appearance with the Worcester Red Sox.
Whitlock continues to be one of the best setup arms in all of MLB. It wouldn’t be a surprise if teams are interested in trading for the 29-year-old righty, who owns a 1.11 WHIP through 19.2 innings. He’s struck out 25 batters compared to six walks in 20 appearances.
Chapman has also been experiencing a hamstring injury, interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters after Friday’s win against the New York Yankees.
Nevertheless, the 38-year-old flamethrower has been virtually unhittable, which is par for the course in his career. Chapman has a measly 0.46 ERA and 0.91 WHIP through 20 appearances (19.2 innings). He has walked nine men and hit a batter, but his whopping 33.8 strikeout percentage stands out.
Slaten, 28, missed one month to a right oblique strain earlier this season, but has been effective and at times dominant since returning in early May. The middle reliever has a 3.27 ERA and 1.18 WHIP (14 strikeouts to four walks) in 12 appearances.
Jarren Duran is another name teams have continued to call about, ESPN’s Jeff Passan said earlier this week. Passan noted Boston and interested organizations value the outfielder differently, which could be why he remained in the organization after coming up in trade rumors over the winter.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s two trade deadlines have been lackluster. It will be interesting to see what major-league moves, if any, he makes before the Aug. 3 deadline.
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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