Red Sox Have Intriguing Odds To Land Three-Time MVP Outfielder This Winter

The Boston Red Sox are expected to undergo a substantial roster overhaul this winter after letting go of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and resetting the luxury tax.

While the majority of those changes are expected to happen to the pitching staff, all bets are off as the organization attempts to surge back toward their winning ways.

Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani will be on the move this winter but he might not be the only generational talent to leave the Halos. As it stands now, Mike Trout has -165 odds to be traded according to BetOnline’s Sportsbook. That means that a trade is more likely than not according to the oddsmakers.

That information combined with reports of the Angels’ willingness to trade him is intriguing. Would the Red Sox get involved in a potential sweepstakes for the three-time MVP and all-time great? Oddsmakers seem to think so.

The Red Sox have +1400 odds (7.14%) to land Trout this winter, which ranks seventh among big-league teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees are the only teams above Boston. Given recent reports of the Padres contemplating downsizing, it might be time to rule them out as well.

Trout still has seven years remaining on his 12-year, $426.5 million contract. Los Angeles likely would have to absorb at least half of his remaining salary for the Red Sox to consider adding the 32-year-old slugger.

One thing is clear, he can still play. Trout hit .263 with 33 extra-base hits including 18 home runs, 44 RBIs and a .858 OPS (130 OPS+) in 82 games this season. His production — which was 30% better than the league average — was the lowest it’s been since he was a 19-year-old rookie. The eleven-time All-Star notched a 2.7 bWAR despite only playing half of the season.

Boston could add another core player that pitchers would fear alongside Rafael Devers, Triston Casas and Justin Turner should he return.

Trout also would improve the club’s historically bad defense, as he rated in the 85th percentile in outs above average in 2023.

The seven percent odds of landing Trout feel about right, so it’s far too early to get fans’ hopes up. That said, a move for Trout would not be out of the question.