The Boston Red Sox have been more productive in the trade market than in free agency this winter when pursuing roster upgrades.
Sep 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second base Willi Castro (50) at bat against the Miami Marlins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
The headliner of the winter thus far was the acquisition of Garrett Crochet, but in general, the Red Sox have done a decent job finding depth in trades. Carlos Narvaez, Blake Sabol, and Jovani Moran could all conceivably contribute to the roster this season.
Moran came over from the Minnesota Twins, who look to be unloading their payroll to the maximum extent possible in the wake of a fourth-place season. Might there be more opportunity for the Red Sox to pursue Twins players for cheap?
Over the weekend, NESN's Keegan Stiefel named Twins utility player Willi Castro, a surprise All-Star in 2024, as a realistic trade target for Boston to pursue this winter.
"Castro is an extremely versatile player who can hit from both sides of the plate, so, no, Minnesota isn’t in a hurry to get rid of him," Stiefel wrote.
"The Twins probably aren’t willing to pay what it would take to keep him from testing out the free agent market next offseason, so why wouldn’t they explore a trade? Castro’s profile is enough to land a decent second-tier prospect, so he can be had."
Castro may have been an All-Star, but he fell off hard in the second half, finishing the year with just a .717 OPS/102 OPS+ and 1.6 bWAR. He had a .627 OPS with only 14 extra-base hits in 62 games played after the All-Star break.
On the plus side, Castro can plug in at any position, which would be a bonus for the Red Sox amid a decent amount of roster uncertainty. He played 54 games at shortstop, thanks to Carlos Correa's recurring injuries, but also played at least 28 games at second base, left field, and center field.
Having Castro around would be a solid backup in case of another Trevor Story injury, or neither second base candidate winning the job out of the starting blocks. But he's not worth depleting the farm for, so Boston had better not include a top-10 prospect if the Twins ask.
