The Red Sox are making big, bold moves by targeting Isaac Paredes, the Houston Astros’ third baseman, while Alex Bregman's future is uncertain. There’s talk that the Red Sox could lose Bregman to the Detroit Tigers, but nothing is confirmed. Even so, they already have their eye on Paredes.
It is easy to see why they could be interested in him. He has the power and versatility to play third base and first base. However, he is not someone the Astros are going to want to lose. They are already down a few stars, and for an injury-prone team like the Astros, having a versatile player who can cover multiple positions is huge.
Trading Paredes for Bregman wouldn’t be a crazy idea. Bregman, a third baseman, former Houston Astro, and one of the best third basemen in the league, is established and therefore comes with a hefty price tag. Could they use that money to hold on to their ace pitcher Valdez? Maybe.
Isaac Paredes is a great player; he is younger than Bregman and a more affordable option. The Astros holding on to Paredes wouldn’t be a bad idea, and Bregman is making headlines and has a few teams interested. Someone could snatch him up pretty soon anyway.
It is hard to say exactly what the right move is here. Either way, there are a lot of factors going into these decisions. Paredes has power, is athletic and versatile, and is only 26 years old. Keeping Paredes around feels like the safe play, but the Astros could surprise us yet.