Red Sox acquire Caleb Durbin from Brewers in six-player trade

The Red Sox added to their infield mix Monday, completing a six-player trade with the Brewers that gives Boston three versatile infielders capable of playing multiple positions.

Boston acquired Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and a Competitive Balance Round B draft pick in exchange for left-handers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan, along with infielder David Hamilton.

Durbin is the headliner of the deal and gives the Red Sox a legitimate option at both second base and third base. The 25-year-old finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting last season and recently emerged as a viable alternative as Boston explored trades for Isaac Paredes, Nico Hoerner, and Matt Shaw.

In his first season with Milwaukee, Durbin hit .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs, 25 doubles, 53 RBI, and 18 stolen bases (in 24 attempts), producing a .721 OPS. He rarely struck out, posting a 9.9% strikeout rate that ranked in the 98th percentile league-wide, while also finishing in the 96th percentile in whiff rate. Durbin also led the National League by being hit by pitch (24). While he did not generate consistent hard contact, per Statcast, he added value defensively, recording five defensive runs saved at third base.

A right-handed hitter with a 43.3% pull rate, Durbin’s offensive profile should translate well to Fenway Park and the Green Monster. He arrives in Boston with five years of team control remaining and two minor-league options.

Durbin logged 1,060 2/3 innings at third base last season but is capable of playing second base as well. That versatility allows the Red Sox to mix and match Marcelo Mayer between second and third base while easing him back into everyday action following wrist surgery last season.

According to his Baseball America scouting report, “He is a versatile defender who saw time at all three non-shortstop spots on the infield as well as a handful of games in the outfield. Second or third base is his most likely home, and he should be average at either spot thanks to quick feet and a throwing arm that is at least average.”

With Durbin offering the ability to play both second and third base, his regular position will be determined during spring training.

“I think at this point we’re just excited about getting a really good player into the organization and we’ll figure out where he fits best,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said following the trade. “It doesn’t feel like it makes sense to commit to anything right now. He’s got experience at third base in the big leagues, some experience at second coming up, and he’s played a little bit of shortstop. That versatility helps us, and we’ll figure that out as we get into camp and get underway.”

Breslow views Durbin as an everyday player with the Red Sox. 

“I think he showed last year that he can be a very good everyday player in the big leagues,” Breslow said. “He does a lot of things really, really well. When you think about the deficiencies that our team had last year in terms of putting the ball in play, you know, not expanding the strike zone, catching up to fastballs, those are all things that he excels at and we think that he’s a really good defender as well.”

Boston also acquired Monasterio, a 28-year-old utility infielder who posted a .755 OPS in 68 games with the Brewers last season while playing five different positions, primarily shortstop. Seigler, a former minor-league free-agent signing, made 25 appearances at third base after debuting last year.

Both players project as depth pieces and join a crowded backup infield group that still includes Nick Sogard, Nate Eaton, Romy Gonzalez, Kristian Campbell and recent waiver claims in Mickey Gasper and Tsung-Che Cheng, even after Hamilton’s departure.

Like Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Monasterio provides valuable depth behind Trevor Story at shortstop. Monasterio has logged nearly 3,000 professional innings at the position, while Kiner-Falefa has appeared in more than 450 major-league games there. Both Monasterio and Seigler have minor-league options remaining, allowing Boston to move them freely between the majors and Triple-A. All three new infielders are on the 40-man roster.

On the pitching side, Boston parts with Harrison, one of four players acquired in last summer’s Rafael Devers trade. Harrison logged just 23 2/3 innings with the Red Sox and entered camp as one of several pitchers competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Harrison gives Milwaukee another controllable starter following the Freddy Peralta trade to the Mets. The 24-year-old has made 42 big-league appearances (37 starts), posting a 4.39 ERA with a 22.9% strikeout rate and an 8% walk rate. A 2020 third-round pick, Harrison was once regarded as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, peaking at No. 26 overall on BA's Top 100 prior to the 2023 season.

Milwaukee has a reputation for pitcher development, most recently demonstrated by Quinn Priester’s breakout in 2025. After struggling early in his career, Priester went 13–3 with a 3.32 ERA across 157 1/3 innings. His underlying metrics supported the improvement, including a 3.65 xERA, 4.01 FIP, and 3.81 xFIP, reinforcing the Brewers’ belief in their ability to unlock value from former high-end pitching prospects. The Brewers will now look to apply this philosophy to unlock Harrison's potential.

Drohan was expected to be in the mix for a spot in the Red Sox bullpen. The 27-year-old has been hampered by injuries over the past several seasons and was entering his third organization. The White Sox selected him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2023 before returning him to Boston the following summer.

While his Triple-A numbers were skewed by a rough showing late in 2023 and some rehab work in 2024 — both potentially impacted by shoulder issues — Drohan was excellent last season. Pitching for Worcester, he logged 47 2/3 innings with a 2.27 ERA, a 35.3% strikeout rate, an 8.4% walk rate, and a massive 17.3% swinging-strike rate.

This offseason, Boston has overhauled its pitching program, leveraging organizational depth to fill out both the major-league and minor-league rosters. The Red Sox traded Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, and David Sandlin, while also allowing Lucas Giolito to depart via free agency and losing Cooper Criswell.

Despite those departures, the Red Sox remain deep on the mound, with Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, and Johan Oviedo, along with veterans Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval, plus rookie left-handers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle, all in the mix for rotation or depth roles. Early and Tolle are both candidates to begin the season with the WooSox and join their deep rotation.

Hamilton, who appeared in 204 games with the Red Sox over the past three seasons, returns to the organization that originally drafted him in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Milwaukee had previously sent Hamilton to Boston in December 2021 as part of the Hunter Renfroe-for-Jackie Bradley Jr. trade.

Finally, Boston also adds the No. 67 overall pick in July’s MLB Draft. The Red Sox had forfeited their second and fifth-highest selections when they signed Suárez, who declined a qualifying offer from the Phillies. Boston will now pick 20th overall and again with the selection acquired from Milwaukee, replenishing some of the draft capital lost earlier in the offseason.