The Boston Red Sox made a low-cost move Tuesday to patch their infield, picking up third baseman Brett Harris from the Oakland Athletics for minor league right-hander Ben Hansen.
Harris, 28, was designated for assignment by the A’s last Saturday, which put the clock on Oakland to either trade him or lose him on waivers. Boston stepped in and got a guy who can play third base right now or head to Triple-A Worcester depending on how the roster shakes out. He still has minor league options left, so the Red Sox have flexibility.
This isn’t a blockbuster. It’s the kind of deal a team makes when its infield depth has been shredded by injuries and the front office wants a warm body who can field the position without costing much. The Red Sox are dead last in the AL East at 37-47, but they just swept the Yankees in four games. That little hot streak has kept the pulse of this season technically beating.
What the Red Sox Are Getting
Harris was a seventh-round pick back in 2021. He’s not going to change the lineup. But he’s a right-handed hitter with some defensive reliability, and Boston needed that. The left side of the infield has been a rotating door of sore arms and IL stints. Harris gives them someone who can step in without making the scout cringe.
“The Red Sox are acquiring INF Brett Harris from the Athletics for RHP Ben Hansen, per source. @ChrisCotillo was on it,” MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand posted on X. Credit to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo for breaking the story first.
The Cost for Boston
They didn’t give up a top prospect. Hansen, 24, was pitching at High-A Greenville. He’s a developmental arm, the kind of guy the A’s can take a flier on and see if something clicks. For Oakland, this beats getting nothing. They had to move Harris fast, and they got a warm arm in return rather than watching him walk for free.
The trade doesn’t move the needle for the rest of the league. But for Boston, it’s a practical adjustment. Harris might not start every day. He might not even be in Boston for long. But right now, with the injury list getting longer and the infield getting thinner, he’s a cheap solution for a real problem. And in a season that’s mostly about next year anyway, that kind of move makes sense.
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