Simply put, it’s time for Craig Breslow to put the Boston Red Sox in a position to fight. While last offseason’s full-throttle promise that proved unsuccessful certainly gave many fans a healthy dose of skepticism about him, all reports indicate that John Henry and Sam Kennedy are ready to pay the dough this offseason to fill holes in the Red Sox roster and turn a strong young core into a contender.

While that certainly could (and should) include spending on high-performing free agents, as potentially Teoscar HernándezBlake Snell, Corbin BurnesMax Fried and several others, the possibility of a blockbuster trade looms in Boston.

The organization is currently reaping the rewards of the farm system rebuild led by Chaim Bloom, which is of course highlighted by Big 4 prospects: Roman Anthony (No. 1 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100), Marcelo Mayer ( n°7), new addition. to the mix “Big” Kristian Campbell (No. 10) and Kyle Teel (No. 25). However, these guys are widely considered, at least by a large portion of the fan base, to be the future of Boston. So trading any of these four stocks would be like a punch in the gut.

And yet, the Red Sox might not have to.

It is already said that Boston is one of the most likely destinations for the biggest trade chip expected to be available this offseason, emerging White Sox ace Garrett Crochet before signing him to a lucrative extension. But Alex Speier Boston Globe also reported at MLB general managers meetings that White Sox general manager Chris Getz said he use trade Dylan Cease as a framework for a Crochet agreement.

So what could this look like for the Red Sox, building on the package the San Diego Padres sent the White Sox to cease? Well, that could very well mean that Boston doesn’t need to send a single member of the Big 4 currently residing in Worcester to make a deal. Actually, it might look like this.

To leverage Cease to the South Side, the Padres sent MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 pick. No. 85 prospect Drew Thorpe with the team’s No. 7 prospect Samuel Zavala, No. 8 prospect Jairo Iriarte and 29-year-old right-handed reliever Steven Wilson. The Sox can basically match that, or perhaps put together an even better package, without considering moving Anthony, Mayer, Campbell or Teel.

Arias would be the most promising up-and-coming player in the deal, ranking among the top 100 prospects in Single-A this year at 18 years old. But Arias is ultimately locked into the Red Sox organization by Mayer and potentially Campbell at shortstop, so Boston is operating from a place of luxury in being able to move such a young player with high potential. Sandlin, meanwhile, has an electric arm, and while he’s been a bit hot and cold in the minors this season, the peak of his talent should be attractive to any team.

Where things get interesting for the Red Sox and still intriguing for the White Sox would be Wiyer Abreu and Kutter Crawford. The latter is 28 years old but is coming off 33 starts for the Sox with a 4.36 ERA and 1.122 WHIP, so he could immediately fit into Chicago’s rotation as Wilson’s proverbial replacement in the trade Cease. Abreu, meanwhile, could be the key to getting this deal across the finish line.

The 25-year-old outfielder is coming off a Gold Glove season in right field with the Red Sox where he also posted a .253/.322/.459 slash line with a 114 OPS+ in 132 games. He is a proven elite defensive outfielder while showing great promise with the bat who is also under club control through 2030 and isn’t even arbitration eligible until 2027. He is basically another prospect high end in terms of value, but someone who has already proven themselves in the field. major.

And in return, the Red Sox would get the ace that has been missing from the team’s starting rotation for some time due to Chris Sale’s injuries and other mitigating factors by bringing in Crochet. Pair that with more spending, potentially more trades, and the core already in place with the Big 4 coming to the majors soon, and this would be about as ideal as it could be for Boston while also helping the White Sox to continue their reconstruction with the right pieces.