In a series that could have been a sweep against the team with the worst record in baseball, the Boston Red Sox reached a new low, dropping two of three games to the Colorado Rockies.A key error by Marcelo Mayer in the seventh inning, with the Red Sox up 6-3, led to an eventual 8-6 loss on Wednesday. Monday’s loss was perhaps the worst of the season as the Red Sox took a 2-0 lead into the ninth only to lose 3-2 on a walk-off triple with closer Aroldis Chapman on the mound.Their one win in the series came Tuesday, thanks in large part to Sonny Gray’s season-high 11-strikeout performance.The Red Sox season continues to spiral downward.Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said last week he’s “absolutely not” giving up on the season just yet, then reiterated that sentiment this week to the Boston Globe, noting he’s still focused on improving this year’s team. But for how much longer?One has to imagine his frame of mind will change soon. A four-game series with the New York Yankees starting Thursday could be the final determining factor in pushing the Red Sox into official sell mode. Realistically, though, with so many teams in contention for the postseason, the Red Sox might not want to act too soon on any deal. If they opt to sell, they’re one of the few teams that have players to trade, meaning they’re in the driver’s seat and can drive up the price on Chapman, Jarren Duran, Gray or Willson Contreras (though the latter two have no-trade clauses and would require player approval). The Red Sox may end up waiting until after the All-Star break to really ramp up discussions. Until then, more losses are likely to pile up.• Speaking of Chapman, the 38-year-old has been so lights-out this season his trade stock has risen as the Red Sox fall deeper into a hole. Playoff contenders are always seeking top-end relievers. The Athletic currently ranks Chapman No. 10 among the top 50 players most likely to be traded this summer.But Monday night’s meltdown, which followed another loss last week, has added just a tiny bit of concern as trade deadline season approaches. Last week, Chapman took the loss Thursday after entering against the Toronto Blue Jays with the score tied in the ninth, but he gave up the winning run on a single and a double to left. (He could have gotten out of the jam if a windblown popup had been caught in foul territory.)On Monday with a 2-0 lead in Colorado, Chapman gave up three straight hits (one of which was a bunt single) to load the bases before a bases-clearing triple gave the Rockies a shocking walk-off victory. It marked Chapman’s first blown save in almost a year, dating to July 23. His 29 consecutive saves over two seasons were a career-high-tying mark and the longest active saves streak in the majors. Chapman has been so automatic all season and is clearly going to make mistakes, but it’s worth monitoring if only because it relates to his trade value. A string of bad outings may make teams a bit more hesitant to give up their top talent for him.One other note here: Chapman dealt with a hamstring issue earlier this month but never went on the injured list, and he insisted his recent blips have nothing to do with the hamstring. Given he’s a workout machine and takes his health very seriously, it’s fair to take his word on that. It’s more likely his recent struggles have been because of a lack of use. The Red Sox have had so few save opportunities of late that it’s had a trickle-down effect on their closer. Chapman has pitched just four times in June. That more than anything may be what’s affecting him.• Duran has been used to his name being included in trade talks the last few years. Last summer, coming off a breakout 2024 season, his name surfaced in trade rumors for Minnesota starter Joe Ryan. This offseason, he was once again in trade circles, particularly for Houston’s Isaac Paredes. Breslow opted to keep Duran and force his manager to find playing time for four outfielders for three spots.Since Roman Anthony landed on the IL in early May with a wrist/hand sprain, that outfield rotation hasn’t been as much of an issue with Duran in left, Ceddanne Rafaela in center and Wilyer Abreu in right. But while Abreu and Rafaela are having standout seasons, Duran is on the opposite end of the spectrum. In 72 games, he’s hitting .199 with a .624 OPS. He’s 0-for-16 in his last four games.Did the Red Sox miss out on a chance to sell high on Duran when he was performing well? What’s his trade value at this point? Duran has still shown short spurts of being the dynamic and impactful player with speed and power he was in 2024, but this season has been a struggle. Anthony may not be back anytime soon, though, so perhaps the Red Sox decide to keep Duran on the roster for now. The 29-year-old is under team control through 2028.• If the Red Sox end up selling, they do have several productive utility infielders they could add to bolster a trade package. Players such as Nate Eaton, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler and Nick Sogard aren’t going to garner much of a return on their own, but they could still be valuable bench players for contending teams. Meanwhile, rehabbing infielder Romy Gonzalez told reporters he’s hoping to be activated by this weekend for the series against the Yankees. His return will mean the Red Sox need to option one of their infielders to Triple-A Worcester, with Monasterio or Seigler among the candidates. A trade of either one of them next month wouldn’t be surprising once Gonzalez is back.Jun 24, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms