Red Sox need 5-foot-6 infielder to break out ASAP to avoid MLB's worst trade

The Boston Red Sox are having a tough 2026 season. With Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony on the injured list, the Red Sox aren't operating at full strength, which has led to their 18-24 record.

But, it's not just the injured stars for why the team is struggling. There are a few players who have struggled mightily this season, and 5-foot-6 infielder Caleb Durbin might be the one who' struggling the most.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller named Durbin as the one Red Sox player who needs to break out ASAP this season. With the Red Sox's poor record, they have a small margin of error, and Durbin's struggles are posing a significant problem for Boston this year.

"And the longer Durbin continues to languish down around a .500 OPS, the more legitimately Craig Breslow and Co. will be forced to consider that Hail Mary," Miller writes.

That "Hail Mary" plan for the Red Sox would involve calling up infield prospect Franklin Arias to play second base and moving Marcelo Mayer to third base. Such a move would certainly make the Durbin trade a total disaster, and the worst of the entire offseason.

Red Sox trade for Caleb Durbin might be MLB's worst if he can't turn things around

The Red Sox let Alex Bregman walk in free agency, and turned to a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for Durbin as their third base replacement.

While the 5-foot-6 third baseman was solid in 2025, posting a 2.8 bWAR season with a .256 batting average and .721 OPS with a 101 OPS+, the production this year has been significantly worse.

Through 40 games and 147 plate appearances, Durbin is hitting .165 with a .485 OPS and 40 OPS+. The new Red Sox third baseman is 60 percent worse than the league average hitter this season. That's just terrible production.

Such offensive struggles would make Durbin a bad trade on its own, but when factoring in what the Red Sox gave up in the deal to get him, this might easily become the worst trade or roster move of the entire 2025-2026 offseason.

MORE: Roman Anthony might’ve been overhyped for Red Sox

Craig Breslow sent the Brewers David Hamilton, Shane Drohan, and most importantly, Kyle Harrison for Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler.

Hamilton is hitting .229 with a .571 OPS, while Drohan has a 3.24 ERA in seven games for the Brewers' bullpen. Harrison has been dominant, as the lefty the Red Sox got in the Rafael Devers trade has a 2.41 ERA in seven starts for the Brewers this season.

Montaserio has a .241 average and .681 OPS in 20 games for the Red Sox, while Seigler hasn't appeared in the Majors for Boston this season.

This trade for the Red Sox looks like a massive loss so far, with Durbin's struggles, and the trio of players the Brewers got back all producing this season.

If Durbin can't turn things around this season, this offseason trade from Breslow and company will look like a massive mistake, and one of the worst deals of the entire offseason.

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