The Boston Red Sox are clearly not content with a single ace. After Garrett Crochet’s Cy Young-caliber debut season — one that saw him lead the Majors with 255 strikeouts, 18 wins, and a 2.59 ERA — the message from Fenway Park’s front office is simple: one elite arm isn’t enough. Chief of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow made that point loud and clear in his postseason remarks, emphasizing that “no one will sit in the seat and say there’s enough pitching.”
Now, a name as electric as Crochet’s has surfaced as a possible trade target — Hunter Greene of the Cincinnati Reds. According to MLB.com, the 26-year-old right-hander, famous for his triple-digit fastball and elite raw stuff, could be on the trade block this offseason as Cincinnati seeks to upgrade its offense. For Boston, that’s an opening too enticing to ignore.
Greene’s story is one of both brilliance and resilience. Once the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, he rocketed through the minors before Tommy John surgery (2019) and the pandemic shutdown (2020) derailed his timeline. Still, Greene has shown flashes of ace-level dominance — like when he hit 101 mph in the ninth inning of his first career complete-game shutout against the Cubs in September. His electric arsenal, headlined by a high-octane fastball and wipeout slider, remains among the most tantalizing in baseball.
But as Reds beat writer Mark Sheldon notes, any deal for Greene “can’t be a salary dump for prospects.” Cincinnati wants proven major-league bats in return — and few clubs are better positioned than Boston to meet that demand. Robbie Hyde of Foul Territory even suggested that the Red Sox could center a package around outfielders Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu — two players who would immediately bolster the Reds’ lineup.
Duran, 29, delivered 16 homers and elite speed in 2025, while Abreu’s 22 home runs came despite missing nearly two months with oblique and calf injuries. Both bring athleticism and pop — the very traits the Reds’ offense sorely lacks. Even in parting with them, Boston would retain enviable outfield depth led by Ceddanne Rafaela, top prospect Roman Anthony, and young slugger Jhostynxon “The Password” Garcia, who hit 23 homers in the minors this year.
For the Red Sox, trading for Greene would mean going all-in on pitching — building a rotation that could soon feature Crochet and Greene as a devastating 1–2 punch, each capable of striking out double-digit batters on any given night.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward gamble — exactly the kind of move that signals a new identity for Boston: not just as a team that can hit, but as one built to dominate from the mound.
