Red Sox have reportedly discussed trading reliever Jordan Hicks in search of an infielder

Boston Red Sox

Starters Brayan Bello and Patrick Sandoval have also reportedly come up in trade talks.

Spring training is set to begin in a couple of weeks, but the Red Sox still appear open to making an impactful trade.

Boston has received interest in its pitching depth, as has been the rumored case all offseason. However, “nothing is imminent,” but the Red Sox have been “active in trade talks for an infielder,” The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported Friday. Among the pitchers discussed are starters Brayan Bello and Patrick Sandoval, as well as reliever Jordan Hicks.

Bello has reportedly been on the trade block all winter. Boston was reportedly “shopping” the 26-year-old as of last month, whose upside and team-friendly contract would be appealing to any team in the market for an arm. Bello is entering the third year of his six-year, $55 million deal.

Sandoval, 29, has yet to pitch for the Red Sox since joining the organization in late 2024 due to a torn UCL. He’ll likely pitch this season.

Hicks, 29, who the Red Sox acquired in last summer’s shocking Rafael Devers trade with the Giants, had a less-than-memorable 2025 campaign with his new team. He posted an 8.20 ERA in 21 appearances before his season ended in Sept. due to right shoulder tendinitis. Hicks will enter the second half of his four-year contract this season; his salary will jump from $7.2 million in 2025 to $12.5 million in 2026.

Boston has 10 potential starters on its active roster and eight relief pitchers. Their major-league pitching depth is uncharacteristically extensive and would be enticing to suitors looking to deal an infielder.

Infielders the Red Sox have been connected to this offseason include Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and third baseman Matt Shaw, Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, and free agent 3B Eugenio Suarez. Boston certainly has a need for an impact 2B, a position that has been a merry-go-round of different players since Dustin Pedroia’s tenure. Similarly, a 3B that can even semi-replace Alex Bregman (and Devers) would do the club good.

However, according to the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman, the Red Sox are preparing for the possibility that they don’t acquire an infielder and need to work with the players they already have. Heyman reported Thursday that the team could start Marcelo Mayer at 3B and platoon Romy Gonzalez and David Hamilton at 2B.

If Boston’s offensive side of its roster stays as is come Opening Day, several players in its lineup will need to outperform expectations if it wants to repeat, or go beyond, last season’s wild-card series exit. Rookie phenom Roman Anthony lit the league on fire during his 71 games in 2025, but his season was cut short due to an oblique injury. Whether he’s the same dominant batter right out of the gate and if he’s rusty remains to be seen.

Not to mention, Anthony will likely have to play like an All-Star or better if it comes down to him having to carry the club offensively.

With that being said, it’s clear that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has a vision for the 2026 Red Sox: run prevention and improved defense. Pitching acquisitions like Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray to pitch behind ace Garrett Crochet in the rotation solidifies that run prevention aspect. The addition of first baseman Willson Contreras should help aid Boston’s long-error-prone infield, plus the hope that another year of a healthy Trevor Story at shortstop and the natural development of youngsters like Hamilton and Mayer will help lower its recent league-high error totals.

Kaley Brown

Sports producer

Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.