Could Boston Red Sox Target Pair of Veteran Infielders in Wake of Curtis Mead Injury?
· Yahoo Sports
The Boston Red Sox were hit with a stroke of bad luck in Monday night’s win over the Athletics as newly acquired infielder Curtis Mead was hit by a pitch, breaking his wrist and sending him to the injured list for an indefinite stay.
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In the wake of the Mead injury, could Boston Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow target a pair of veteran rentals, Eugenio Suarez and Luis Arraez, to fill the void left behind?
About SuarezThe Red Sox showed some interest in Suarez over the offseason before the power-hitting third baseman signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds.
Now, with the Reds sitting at 52-58 and 5.5 games back of the last wild-card spot in the National League, they’ll look to trade off expiring contracts ahead of Monday evening’s deadline.
Jul 21, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez (28) runs the bases after hitting a solo-home run against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park. Joe Nicholson-Imagn ImagesIt’s been a down year for Suarez, who hit 49 home runs in 2025 in his return to Cincinnati, as he’s hit just .201/.275/.388/.663 with 14 home runs in 80 games, while striking out at an exorbitant 36.9 percent rate.
However, the 35-year-old veteran does one thing the Boston front office covets: he pulls the ball in the air, sporting a 23.3 percent air pull rate. Which, of course, could make him more valuable at Fenway Park with the presence of the Green Monster in left field, turning what would be fly ball outs in most parks into base hits or home runs.
Defensively, though, Suarez is among the worst third base defenders in baseball, posting a -5 outs above average at the position in just 268 innings. With the presence of one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball, Caleb Durbin, in Boston, Suarez would likely be relegated to a designated hitter role should the Red Sox acquire him.
Aug 24, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) hits an RBI double during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY SportsHowever, he would still represent an upgrade in the power department at the position, as the rotating cast of Boston designated hitters has hit only nine home runs in 2026.
While Suarez does have a $16 million mutual option for the 2027 season, you’d have to go back to 2014 to find the last time both sides of a mutual option were accepted, making him a nearly surefire rental. Assuming Cincinnati is simply looking for any acquiring team to take on the remainder of his contract, roughly $4.72 million, he should come at a fairly affordable cost, should Breslow strike out in his other discussions.
About ArraezJul 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez (1) gestures after hitting an RBI-single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at Oracle Park. Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesAfter an underwhelming trip through the free agency process ahead of the 2026 season, Arraez settled for a one-year, $12 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. In his lone season with San Francisco, Arraez has been all Buster Posey could have asked for and then some, hitting .328/.364/.446/.810 in 104 games.
Arraez is one of the best pure hitters in the sport, striking out at a league-low 4.6 percent rate. However, he also does not walk much, posting a 5.4 percent walk rate, the 14th-lowest in baseball.
While he doesn't add much pop to a Red Sox lineup in desperate need of it, he sports a career slash line of .320/.361/.418/.779 from the leadoff spot, where Boston has failed to get much production from in 2026.
Jul 24, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez (1) throws the ball to first for an out in the top of the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Oracle Park. Justine Willard-Imagn ImagesAfter six subpar defensive seasons at both first and second base, Giants’ infield instructor Ron Washington has turned the 29-year-old into one of baseball’s best defenders at second base in 2026. Arraez’s outs above average of 11 and fielding run value of nine both rank second among all second basemen, trailing only Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt. Though his defensive runs saved still lag behind at -2, the 11th-best mark at the position.
Arraez is owed approximately $3.7 million for the remainder of the season, making him a fairly affordable acquisition for any interested teams.
How much better does that make the Red Sox? Both Suarez and Arraez were teammates with a trio of current Red Sox players, Ranger Suarez, Willson Contreras, and Wilyer Abreu on Team Venezuela during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesWhile the pair of Suarez and Arraez doesn't jump off the page as a massive upgrade for the Boston lineup, they would however add both power and length to it. All while not requiring major prospect capital, allowing Breslow to keep those assets to use to keep pursuing major pieces in the aftermath of the impending lockout.
The MLB Trade deadline is Monday at 6:00 p.m. ET.