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Publicly, Craig Breslow has been steady in saying the Red Sox do not need to trade an outfielder, and that even though they have four guys for three spots, they can make it work in 2026 in the same way they made it work part of last summer, by rotating them and using the DH slot.
Privately, Breslow has told inquiring teams … the same thing, actually.
According to executives from multiple clubs that have been in the market for outfielders and have talked trade possibilities with the Red Sox, Breslow’s message has been consistent. He has Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran on the roster. He is comfortable keeping it that way into next season unless a team convinces him not to.
Entering the offseason, the Red Sox dealing an outfielder — either for prospects or to bolster the major league squad — seemed inevitable because of their surplus. And it very much remains in the realm of possibility. But Breslow has been clear that he will not do so just because he can.
“We have to listen because it would be, I think, irresponsible not to,” Breslow said last week at the Winter Meetings. “But the bar we’re going to hold is really high, because each of those guys is capable of contributing multiple wins to our team.”
Keeping the quartet intact sounds more feasible in particular after the Red Sox basically passed on Kyle Schwarber (no offer) and Pete Alonso (lower offer than the Orioles’). They would have taken all of or some of the DH at-bats, respectively, which would’ve changed the calculus on using that playing time for the spare outfielder in any given game.
It’s worth remembering that Alex Cora & Co. struck this balance for a period last season. Anthony DHed a bit, Abreu and Duran sometimes sat against lefties, Rafaela saw time in the infield. It wasn’t ideal, but they made it work. Next thing they knew, Abreu and then Anthony got hurt, and a surplus turned into a deficit. It was a good reminder that stuff happens and you can never have too many good players.
Heading into 2026, some of the variables are different — making finding playing time for all four potentially trickier.
Anthony, of course, needs to hit every day, and Cora said often last season that he doesn’t love filling out a lineup card with Anthony at DH. Rafaela, now a Gold Glover, should be in center field every day. Sox decision-makers have been talking up Abreu’s incoming chance to hit against lefthanders and prove himself as a true everyday player (not to mention his two Gold Gloves in right field in as many seasons).
And Duran, meanwhile, remains a very good — worth 3.9 Wins Above Replacement in 2025, according to FanGraphs, even as he took a step back from his All-Star 2024 form. That ranked 13th among 48 qualified outfielders. Which team wouldn’t want that?
“It’s the best outfield unit in the big leagues,” Cora said last week.
The solution(s) could include giving Abreu, as good as he is defensively, rest/DH days to try to avoid the soft tissue injuries that plagued him last season. Duran struggled against lefties last year, so maybe keep sitting him for that. Might it be worth benching Rafaela once in a while during his cold stretches at the plate? (Eh, probably not too often.)
It would be complicated. But the Red Sox can figure it out if they want.
Other Sox thoughts…
⋅ The Red Sox indeed have sniffed around on free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, as The Athletic reported.
It’s not clear how that would work. It feels like a down-ballot alternative if they come up empty on the many other hitters/infielders they are involved with.
Maybe a 50/50 playing-time split with Carlos Narváez would get the most out of both. Realmuto is coming off a down year and will be 35 next season; Narváez tapered off in the second half (while playing hurt) after surprising everybody and grabbing the starting job in the first half.
But Realmuto prides himself on playing a ton at the most physically demanding position — getting into 130-plus games in four of the past five years — and wants to keep doing so.
“We’ve got to be open-minded [about] ways to improve the roster,” Breslow said. “And we feel good about those two (Narváez and Connor Wong). But if there’s an opportunity to build out some depth or upgrade, we’ll at least be willing to have the conversation.”
⋅ Masataka Yoshida occupies a gray area on the Sox’ depth chart. His strong September — .333/.351/.486 — suggests he still is capable of being a useful major league hitter. Whether he has a spot on the 2026 team depends on what additions the Red Sox make in the coming weeks and months.
For that reason, they should feel comfortable with a wait-and-see approach. If Yoshida has a normal, healthy offseason and spring training, maybe he restores his trade value to a degree and they can move him in March, eating part of his salary but getting the rest off their books.
⋅ File away for early or mid-2026: The Red Sox inquired with free agent reliever Evan Phillips, who had Tommy John surgery in June. Phillips, non-tendered by the Dodgers, is delaying signing a new contract until January-ish (when he starts throwing off the mound) or even July-ish (when he is expected to return to game action). He is seeking a one-year contract so that he can re-establish himself as healthy and effective and take a bigger swing in free agency next offseason.
Phillips, 31, had a 2.14 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 45 saves over the past four seasons before blowing out his elbow.
⋅ A way-too-early, assuming-all-are-healthy projection of the rotation depth chart: Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, Johan Oviedo, Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford. That’s six, with the last two coming off seasonlong, injury-induced layoffs. Oviedo, Sandoval, and Crawford can go in any order. The Red Sox can afford to miss one of the above without truly tapping into backup choices.
After the experienced group, rounds out the younger group: Kyle Harrison, Hunter Dobbins (returning from an ACL tear), Connelly Early, and Payton Tolle. Pencil in Early and Tolle as getting more Triple A reps to open the season. Slot Early — more experienced in the minors, especially the upper minors — just ahead of Tolle at this stage. If there is a rotation opening with a longer runway to begin the year (as opposed to just a couple of starts), Early can win that spot.
Then there is the group of arms who have yet to debut and might be relievers: Luis Perales, David Sandlin, Shane Drohan, Tyler Uberstine.
Fourteen names is a lot.
⋅ After closer Aroldis Chapman, the Sox have just two lefty true relievers on the 40-man roster: Jovani Morán and Tyler Samaniego. You have to figure they’ll add a more experienced setup-type option.
⋅ With the way high-leverage relievers are getting paid, Breslow’s proactive signing of Chapman to an extension — $13 million in 2026, $13 million vesting option for 2027 — looks awfully savvy.
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.