Allen Craig Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz, Speculation Surrounding Red Sox Star

On the heels of his worst MLB season, Boston Red Sox outfielder and first baseman Allen Craig's name has been popular in terms of trade speculation.   

Continue for updates.

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Red Sox in Active Talks With One Team

Thursday, Dec. 18

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported on the market for Allen Craig:

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Teams Interested in Craig Deal

Wednesday, Dec. 17

According to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, however, no deal is imminent despite some teams expressing interest:

The Red Sox acquired Craig along with starting pitcher Joe Kelly from the St. Louis Cardinals in a trade last season that sent veteran righty John Lackey westward.

Craig was hitting a disappointing .237 with seven home runs and 44 RBI at the time of the deal, but things got even worse in Boston as he hit a paltry .128 with one homer and two RBI in 29 games.

As awful as the 30-year-old slugger looked with the Red Sox, it wasn't indicative of his career as a whole. In fact, prior to 2014, Craig hit .307 or better in three straight seasons. He also topped 90 RBI in both 2012 and 2013, while receiving an All-Star nod in 2013 to boot.

That would seem to suggest that Craig is a prime candidate to bounce back. That is likely why some teams have kicked the tires on attempting to trade for him, but one organization that is no longer in the market for him is the Miami Marlins, per Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe:

The Red Sox have been extremely active this offseason, and it looks as though Craig is outside the starting lineup as things currently stand. Hanley Ramirez, Rusney Castillo and Shane Victorino are the primary outfield options, while Mike Napoli and David Ortiz are holding down first base and designated hitter respectively.

Craig would provide them with great depth and versatility, but he is under contract until 2019 at over $6 million per year, according to Spotrac.com, which is a lot to pay a reserve.

One can only assume that Boston will listen to and consider all offers for Craig, especially if they involve pitching coming back the other way.

If nothing captivates the Red Sox, though, Craig could be a dangerous option off the bench.

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