The Boston Red Sox are pivoting after losing third baseman Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs in free agency. Perhaps in response to that move, the team made a trade for Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin on Monday, the team announced.
Durbin, 25, slashed .256/.334/.387 as a rookie. Durbin, who was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, is known as a scrappy, undersized player who is capable of strong defense at third base. This marks the third time in his career that he has been traded.
While he hit well in the minors, Durbin’s upside with the bat is a bit of a question after a middling rookie season. His slash line wasn’t overly impressive, though it was 5% better than league-average. He managed that despite one of the worst average exit velocities in the game and a low barrel rate. Both figures cast doubt on Durbin’s ability to be a meaningful producer at the plate moving forward.
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But Durbin is the type of player who has overcome those shortcomings in the past. Even last year, he showed an ability to optimize his approach at the plate, making sure he was pulling his fly balls, a good way for a player of his size to maximize his power output. That approach came through in the second half, which saw Durbin club seven home runs in 234 plate appearances. However, that came with a big reduction in his on-base percentage, so Durbin will need to find a way to reconcile that.
In addition to Durbin, the Red Sox received Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler and a competitive-balance round B pick, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Monasterio, 28, hit .270/.319/.437 in limited time with the Brewers last season. He saw time at every position on the infield and played two innings in left field. Seigler, a 26-year-old third baseman, hit just under .200 in 73 plate appearances in the majors last year.
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In exchange for Durbin, the Red Sox are parting ways with a key piece in the Rafael Devers trade. Left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison is the main player heading to the Brewers in the deal.
Harrison, 24, didn’t see much time in the majors following that trade last summer. After making eight appearances with the San Francisco Giants in the first half, he was sent to the minors after being acquiring in the Devers deal. He made three major-league appearances with the Red Sox in the regular season, putting up a 3.00 ERA over 12 innings.
Prior to the 2024 MLB season, Harrison ranked within the top half on most top-100 prospect lists, topping out as No. 23 on MLB.com’s list heading into that season. Since then, the lefty hasn’t quite lived up to those expectations. The Brewers have a knack for getting the most out of young pitchers, however, so this could be a great landing spot for Harrison.
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The Brewers also received 27-year-old pitcher Shane Drohan and 28-year-old infielder David Hamilton in the deal. Hamilton is known more for his defensive ability and has hit just .222 since 2023. Drohan saw his strikeout rate soar in the minors last season, but he was old for Triple-A and never got a chance in the majors with the Red Sox.
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With this move, two of the key pieces acquired by the Red Sox in the Devers deal are no longer with the franchise. In addition to shipping out Harrison, the Red Sox traded pitcher Jordan Hicks on Feb. 1. Hicks struggled mightily in limited work with the Red Sox following the Devers trade, posting an 8.20 ERA over 18 2/3 innings. The Red Sox were disappointed enough with that performance that they agreed to trade Hicks to the Chicago White Sox.
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Both the Brewers and Red Sox are expected to contend in 2026 after making the playoffs last season. At the same time, both teams still have a few glaring roster deficiencies. The Red Sox might have plugged one of those with Durbin, while the Brewers are engaging in a bit of a roster revamp after trading ace Freddy Peralta earlier in the offseason.
In Milwaukee, this trade presents more questions than answers, but the team has a strong track record of getting the most out of its young, unproven players. Harrison could be the next Brewers pitcher to take that leap, and the team has a handful of impressive infield prospects who could replace Durbin’s production before long.
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As for Durbin, if the Red Sox can further optimize his approach at the plate, there’s potential for him to develop into an extremely useful, well-rounded contributor in all facets of the game.
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