The Boston Red Sox apparently aimed even higher than anyone realized before the MLB trade deadline. Boston completed one blockbuster by acquiring three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles. But chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reportedly explored another potentially franchise-altering move before the deadline passed
The Red Sox attempted to convince the Cincinnati Reds to trade superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale
“The Boston Red Sox tried to convince the Cincinnati Reds to trade shortstop Elly De La Cruz, but never came close to acquiring him,” Nightengale wrote Sunday
The second half of that report matters. Cincinnati apparently never reached the point where a deal became realistic, and there is no indication Boston came close to landing De La Cruz
Still, the pursuit says plenty about how Breslow viewed the deadline
Red Sox Considered Massive Shortstop Upgrade
Boston reportedly investigated several possible long-term solutions at shortstop, including CJ Abrams, Jeremy Peña, Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards
De La Cruz represented the most ambitious option
The 24-year-old is a two-time All-Star and one of baseball’s most dynamic players. He entered Sunday with an .860 OPS and already had produced at least 20 home runs in three consecutive seasons. His rare combination of power and speed would have transformed Boston’s lineup. Fenway Park also would have provided an intriguing home for a switch-hitter capable of changing games with his bat, legs and arm
De La Cruz’s defensive inconsistency remains a concern, but there are few shortstops with his overall ceiling
The Red Sox’s interest came while Trevor Story was sidelined by an injury. Story also had failed to match his 2025 production when healthy, increasing speculation that Boston might pursue a younger, long-term answer at the position. Landing De La Cruz would have resolved that question emphatically
MORE:Â Adley Rutschman Makes Strong First Impression With Red Sox
Cincinnati Had Little Reason To Listen
The largest obstacle was not identifying De La Cruz as a worthwhile target. It was creating an offer Cincinnati would seriously consider.De La Cruz remains under club control for three more seasons, giving the Reds no financial urgency to move him. Any trade package likely would have started with one of Boston’s top prospects before expanding into several additional premium assets
Shortstop Franklin Arias almost certainly would have entered the conversation. The 20-year-old is among the most valuable players in Boston’s farm system and projects as a possible long-term starter in the middle infield. The Red Sox already surrendered significant talent to acquire Rutschman. Completing another blockbuster for De La Cruz could have depleted a farm system Breslow spent years strengthening
That explains why a deal never became particularly close. It also makes Boston’s inquiry more interesting
Breslow was willing to investigate an aggressive swing despite the enormous projected cost. After watching the Red Sox emerge as one of baseball’s hottest teams, he considered adding not only Rutschman but one of MLB’s brightest young stars
Boston ultimately will have to find another answer at shortstop if it wants to move beyond Story. De La Cruz probably never was a realistic solution. But the fact Breslow called Cincinnati indicates the Red Sox no longer are thinking small
