Red Sox reportedly have at least 2 major trade candidates ahead of deadline

The Boston Red Sox are 40-44 and have lost eight of their last 11 since a six-game win streak, so they are teetering dangerously toward selling at the trade deadline and increasingly becoming the subject of trade rumors.

Could Alex Bregman be on the list of players headed out the door?

Once considered an essential piece of restoring a winning culture in the Red Sox clubhouse, Bregman could now possibly find himself in another uniform next month. Granted, ESPN's list of top trade candidates has him at a 10% chance of being traded, but that was last Tuesday. An upward shift in the odds could be likely, if the Sox keep freefalling.

According to the list, jointly compiled by Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel, the Cubs, Tigers, Yankees and Mets are described as the best fits for Bregman. Chicago and Detroit were among his suitors in free agency, so they make sense as candidates to take on the remainder of his $40 million salary for 2025.

Bregman could also stay on for two more seasons at another $40M each, which according to Passan and McDaniel "significantly shortens the list of teams that would take on his deal." But he also has his opt-outs after each season, so a Bregman acquisition could effectively be treated like a rental.

The third baseman is still recovering from a quad strain, but started hitting and taking grounders over the weekend. He ranks No. 1 on ESPN's list.

^{Jarren Duran}

In the No. 2 spot? That would be outfielder Jarren Duran, a less surprising but still-talented and valuable trade chip. Duran is only signed for one more year at an $8 million player option, making him another rental type for an acquiring team. But at age 28, Duran is in his prime and right in line for his last big payday on his next contract.

It doesn't look like that contract will come with the Red Sox, who prioritized signing Kristian Campbell before the start of the 2025 season and are now looking to make room for Roman Anthony to become an everyday major-leaguer. At the moment, Anthony-Ceddanne Rafaela-Wilyer Abreu feels like the Red Sox' outfield of the future, leaving Duran on the outside looking in.

So, it would make sense for the Red Sox to move Duran in a deadline deal, even if they don't totally go into sell mode. It's the Bregman part of these rumors that seem to point the Sox in the direction of full-on selling, though. Walker Buehler and Aroldis Chapman, two more rental options in contract years, are also on ESPN's list of trade candidates.

If the Red Sox just keep on losing, expect at least one of these names to be moved in July. Either way, we're on Duran watch.