2 roster moves Red Sox must make after 2026 MLB trade deadline

The magical run continues for the Boston Red Sox as they secured the most improbable and dramatic victory of their remarkable hot streak Thursday night with a 12-11 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox have won eight games in a row and are 31-5 since their surge started in late June.

What has made the run so remarkable is that backup players and injury replacements have had such a huge impact. Third baseman Caleb Durbin was a struggling disappointment for two months, but he has been a remarkable impact player since late June. Andruw Monasterio has delivered multiple clutch hits while filling in at shortstop. Nick Sogard and Anthony Seigler have overachieved since their promotions from Triple-A Worcester.

The core of Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras have taken turns delivering eye-catching performances that include game-changing home runs and huge defensive plays. The pitching staff has been the key to their success thanks to Sonny Gray and a pair young left-handed starters in Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett. The bullpen is led by record-setting closer Aroldis Chapman and hard-throwing Garrett Whitlock.

Amazingly, the Red Sox have been brilliant even though Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony and Trevor Story have all been out the majority of the season with injuries. All three could be coming back at some point in August.

Change in team chemistry could impact hot streak

Therein lies the rub. When any of those players are deemed healthy enough to return, general manager Craig Breslow will have to make moves with his roster. Those moves will impact team chemistry and could impact the team’s sensational hot streak.

So, everything is wonderful right now in Red Sox Nation. However, the roster changes could impact the team’s winning ways. No team stays hot forever, and if there is any downturn, the fans will be looking for someone to blame.

The most obvious candidate will be Breslow. He’s the one making the decisions, and until they got hot after losing two of three games to the Colorado Rockies, he was painted as the villain. The Red Sox failed to bring back Alex Bregman to play third base after he emerged as a team leader and Breslow appeared to be the main culprit in that departure.

He has had a respite as the team turned its season around, but he will hear it again if any of his decisions backfire. He appears to have a week or more before any crucial decisions have to be made.

Anthony could return to the active roster

Anthony has to get an opportunity to return to the lineup as soon as he is ready. He is viewed as the team’s future, and he flashed enough talent as a rookie last season and during the World Baseball Classic to regain his opportunity. Look for the Red Sox to part company with either Jahmai Jones or  Eli White when Anthony returns to active duty.

Jones is a recent acquisition from the Tigers. He was brought in as a right-handed bat against left-handed pitching after the Tigers decided he was not in their plans. Jones has had limited opportunities since the Red Sox traded for him, but he is 6 for 15 with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in. That should give him an edge over former Atlanta Brave Eli White, who appears to be largely a defensive replacement.

Anthony will get time as a left fielder or a designated hitter once he returns. If interim manager Chad Tracy plays Anthony in left field, that would impact Jarren Duran’s playing time. If he is inserted as the designated hitter, Masataka Yoshida could lose playing time.

Crochet’s return would necessitate a change

Crochet was the ace of the staff a year ago when he had a brilliant season for the Red Sox. He has been out since late April with a shoulder problem that was expected to be minor. However, he appears to be closer to a return than he has ever been.

At this point, Crochet would most likely get a chance to pitch out of the bullpen when he is deemed healthy. That would allow him to build strength in his arm by pitching one or two innings at a time. The Red Sox also don’t want to negatively impact their starting rotation.

Breslow would appear to have to make a decision between recently acquired Erik Miller and Greg Weissert. Miller came over from the San Francisco Giants and pitched well for that team and has been successful in two appearances with the Red Sox. Weissert has struggled in some of his appearances, so look for Crochet to replace him when he is ready for his return.

Additional moves may also have to be made when Story, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, Romy Gonzalez and Curtis Mead are ready to return, but the return of Anthony and Crochet would force the most important moves.

The post 2 roster moves Red Sox must make after 2026 MLB trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints.