Just five days ago, one of the hottest rumors making the rounds involved the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox having discussions involving Astros 3B Isaac Paredes and Red Sox OF Jarren Duran.
As typical to baseball offseason talks, however, that could all be a thing of the past just as fast as it was the hot rumor.
In her article today at The Athletic, Red Sox reporter Jen McCaffrey laid out a different path forward for the Red Sox this offseason:
Though Breslow wouldn’t commit to (Marcelo) Mayer at
second or third base, a source with the team recently noted a preference for Mayer at third. After Bregman’s injury last season, Mayer played well at the position, but there’s also an idea of keeping him on the same side of the field as his natural shortstop position. He’s likely the heir to the shortstop spot after Story’s contract is up following the 2027 season.
With that in mind, it appears the Red Sox are seeking a strong defensive second baseman.
“It’s really important that we improve our defense, particularly our infield defense,” Breslow said. “Any additions that we may make, we’ll be very mindful of the defensive skillset.”
That would seem to rule out Houston’s Isaac Paredes, who has struggled defensively at third base.
You can see the whole article here (subscription required):
While this doesn’t mean a deal between the two teams doesn’t eventually happen anyway, as trade talks ebb and flow all offseason and pivots/re-pivots happen all the time, it does change the outlook and perception of a deal that could possibly involve Isaac Paredes and the Red Sox to a less likely scenario.
