If the Red Sox opt to trade for a hitter, who could be some of their options?

Boston Red Sox

There are a handful of intriguing hitters who could be moved via trade this offseason.

By Conor Roche

November 22, 2025 | 4:34 PM

5 minutes to read

The Red Sox have been linked to some of the top hitters in free agency this offseason, like Pete Alonso, Kyle Schwarber, and Munetaka Murakami. Of course, they’re also strongly in the mix to re-sign Alex Bregman.

But they could improve their lineup via trade, too. In fact, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier recently reported that he suspects the Red Sox won’t sign two of “premium” bats in free agency this offseason, but could look to add a complementary bat in addition to signing one of those aforementioned players.

If that’s the case, maybe the Red Sox turn to the trade market to add a complementary bat. If so, let’s take a look at seven possible hitters the Red Sox could go after based on trade rumors and speculation in recent weeks.

Willson Contreras, 1B, Cardinals

Contreras is one of a handful of players whom insiders think the Cardinals could move on from this offseason, with The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo reporting that earlier in November. Former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom now runs the Cardinals’ baseball operations as well, so there could be a natural fit there for a trade as Bloom helped build Boston’s farm system.

The 33-year-old right-handed hitter has been a pretty consistent hitter since his days with the Cubs. Conteras’s batting average has largely hovered around .260 and he’s hit at least 20 home runs in five of the last six seasons (2020 season excluded), but has never hit 25 home runs in a season.

After spending the majority of his first nine seasons at catcher, Conteras became the Cardinals’ full-time first baseman last year. He had four Outs Above Average last year, per Baseball Savant, making him a plus defender at the position.

Contreras is under contract for the next two seasons and is owed $36.5 million in total money. He also has a $17.5 million team option for the 2028 season. So, his contract is certainly palatable.

Yandy Diaz, 1B, Rays

The Red Sox already made a run for Diaz ahead of the trade deadline in July, with the Rays ultimately deciding to keep him for the homestretch of the season.

So, why not give Tampa another call on Diaz this offseason? He’s only under contract for one more year, so he might be more expendable now than he was back in July.

The 34-year-old right-handed hitter has been able to hit for average with some power over the last few seasons. Diaz posted a .300 batting average in 2025, marking the fourth straight year he’s had a batting average of at least .280.

In terms of power, Diaz’s 25 homers last season were a career high. He also hit 22 home runs in 2023, when he posted a .330 batting average to finish sixth in AL MVP voting.

Ketel Marte, 2B, Diamondbacks

Marte’s one of the top names rumored to be on the trade market this offseason, with USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale floating the possibility earlier in November.

If the Red Sox were able to land Marte, he might be the best hitter in their lineup, even if they were to re-sign Bregman. The three-time All-Star has been one of the game’s second basemen over the last few years, finishing third in the NL MVP vote in 2024 with a .292 batting average and 36 home runs.

Last, the switch-hitting Marte hit .283 with a .893 OPS and 28 home runs in 126 games. He just turned 32 in October and is under contract through at least the 2030 season, holding a $15 million salary for 2026. Marte’s salary takes a slight dip in 2027 ($12 million) before climbing up to at least $20 million in the following three seasons. He could also earn up to $5.5 million in incentives per year over the duration of his contract based on plate appearances and MVP voting.

So, Marte would probably be the most expensive player to trade for on this list considering that his contract is pretty reasonable for a player of his caliber.

Brandon Lowe, 2B, Rays

Maybe the Rays don’t want to trade their top hitter to a division rival, but Lowe sits in a similar spot as Diaz entering the offseason. He’s also entering the final year of his contract and is on the wrong side of 30 (he’ll turn 32 in July).

So, it wouldn’t hurt the Red Sox to at least inquire about the All-Star second baseman. Lowe hit .256 with .785 OPS, 31 home runs, and 83 RBIs in 134 games last season. It marked the fourth time in the last five seasons that Lowe has hit at least 20 homers, so he would provide so much-needed pop to the Red Sox’ lineup.

Lowe is a left-handed hitter, which might not necessarily fit the mold of what Boston is looking to add to its lineup this offseason. And he hasn’t been great against lefties, either. He has a career .219 batting average and .695 OPS against lefties, while posting a .194 batting average and .548 OPS against left-handed pitchers last season.

Brendan Donovan, 2B, Cardinals

Donovan is also among the names that the Cardinals could possibly be moved this offseason. Unlike some of the other options on this list, though, Donovan hasn’t displayed much power. He only has 40 homers in 492 career games, hitting 10 in 118 last season.

But Donovan would be an enticing add for the Red Sox for a pair of reasons. The 28-year-old left-handed hitter can hit for average (.282 career batting average), and get on base (.361 career on-base percentage) pretty well. He’s also got a lot of positional versatility, primarily playing second base last season after mostly playing in the outfield in 2024. But he’s better utilized at second base, posting seven outs above average over the last two years.

Donovan is under control for two more years and was named an All-Star for the first time last season. So, trading for him could come with a heftier price than some of the other options on this list. But maybe Bloom’s connection to the team and a farm system could help the Red Sox land Donovan if they decide to pursue him.

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Cardinals

Another Cardinals player makes their way onto the list, as Arenado is rumored to be on the trade block again this offseason. In fact, the Red Sox were linked to Arenado last offseason, with the Cardinals’ third baseman having Boston on the list of teams he’d approve a trade to.

Arenado isn’t the player that he once was. After being named an All-Star in nine straight seasons (excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign), Arenado has hit .257 with a .697 OPS and 28 homers over 259 games over the last two seasons.

The 34-year-old has remained a plus fielder still, so that’s a benefit. But as there aren’t many other notable free agents at third base beyond Bregman, Arenado might be someone the Red Sox have to settle on if they lose their All-Star third baseman in free agency.

Alec Bohm, 3B, Phillies

The Phillies aren’t blowing things up, but Bohm seems to be a reasonable trade candidate this offseason. The 29-year-old is entering his final year of team control, and as Philadelphia seems set to be a major player in free agency again, it would make sense to get ahead of Bohm’s possible departure by trading him now.

Bohm has logged a batting average of at least .270 and an OPS of at least .710 in each of the last four seasons. But the right-handed hitter hasn’t shown much power in his career, reaching the 20 home run mark just once. He also hit 11 home runs in 120 games last season.