Is Hunter Greene the guy Boston should be targeting on the trade market?
If the Red Sox are going to put their money where their mouth is this offseason and actually live up to what Sean McAdam of MassLive reported on Friday, a great place to start would be trading for Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene.
Bringing in a guy who went 7-4 in 2025 with a 2.76 ERA across 107.2 IP with 132 strikeouts and a WHIP of .938 would immediately give the Red Sox a stable arm behind Cy Young finalist Garrett Crochet. And with the 26-year-old’s contract keeping him under team control through the 2029 season, it would be a move that sends a statement about their renewed commitment to long term winning.
Add in the fact that his contract isn’t all that eye-popping with approximately $42 remaining on the deal over the next four seasons (with a team option for 2029), and now you’ve addressed a need on the pitching staff while also freeing you up to spend big on hitting in the free agent market.
Does that mean Pete Alonso? Does that mean Alex Bregman is back? What about “Kyle from Waltham?”
Name the free agent, and Boston could and should have a chance with them if they can bring in Greene on his team-friendly deal.
In steps my guy Pat Brown from the “Play Tessie” podcast, who brought this trade proposal to the table:
Red Sox Receive:
- SP Hunter Greene
- C Jose Trevino
Red Receive:
- Wilyer Abreu
- Franklin Arias
- Jhostynxon Garcia
…who says no?
Cincinnati, probably, as they’re giving up the player with the highest upside in this deal.
I know Abreu is an elite, elite glove in the outfield and that Garcia flashed enough in Triple-A to warrant a late season call-up, but Greene profiles as someone who could round into a front-of-the-rotation stud for the next five-plus years, going back-to-back seasons with a sub-2.76 ERA.
From a Boston perspective, they should be motivated to make a deal like this one because it also helps solve another issue for them with the log jam they have in the outfield. If they move Abreu and Garcia, those are two guys that are going to need at bats in the major league lineup in the coming years. While Jarren Duran has been the popular name to throw around in trade rumors so far this offseason, Abreu’s name being in the mix serves that same purpose.
And if we’re being honest, Abreu might have always been the player that made more sense to move when it comes to getting a higher-end return. The back-to-back Gold Glove wins to start his major league career cannot be ignored. They don’t just hand those things out, especially to young players with little name recognition.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.