By Shaun McAvoyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Boston Red Sox have an interesting decision to make with their surplus of talented outfielders this offseason.
After the emergence of rookie phenom Roman Anthony this season, the Red Sox now have four outfielders skilled enough to be an everyday starter, five if you count Masataka Yoshida as well. Trading one of Boston's surplus of outfielders has been rumored all offseason, with one of its biggest offseason priorities being to bring in a No. 2 pitcher to pair with Garrett Crochet.
The Red Sox's trade for star pitcher Sonny Gray didn't include any of their outfielders, leaving them the potential to make a deal for one in the future. 29-year-old All-Star Jarren Duran appears to be the likeliest trade candidate, but one insider pitched a different idea.
MassLive's Chris Cotillo urged the Red Sox to consider selling high on 25-year-old Gold Glove winner Ceddanne Rafaela instead of dealing Duran.
..."This is why I really think they should be open to a Rafaela trade," Cotillo wrote Tuesday in a post shared to X. "If they’re not lining up with teams on Duran, why not have a team blow you away on Rafaela?
"Duran (is) controlled for 3 years in $30-35M range. Rafaela is 25 and a team would be getting him for (seven) years at $58M total. Any club can do that. ... I think they’re open to moving anyone outside of Anthony in the OF mix and I’m not reporting they’re shopping Rafaela. This drum I’ve been beating is from a speculative standpoint."
Though Duran boasts a slightly higher offensive ceiling than Rafaela, the 25-year-old would likely bring in a better return in a trade. Rafaela is under contract through the 2032 season and is one of the better outfield defenders in the league, but is a streaky batter.
The Red Sox will need to decide whether they would be willing to trade Rafaela if they choose to deal an outfielder, especially given that Duran's long-term future with the team is uncertain.
More MLB: Why Red Sox May Lose 31-Year-Old After Short Stint, Per Insider
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