Red Sox Deal Cheng to Tigers in Second Thursday Night Trade

The Boston Red Sox kept their offseason roster shuffle rolling late on Thursday, trading infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations. The move, reported by Red Sox insider Andrew Parker, was the club's second deal of the evening after outfielder Nate Eaton was sent to the Athletics earlier on Thursday, and like that trade it clears another spot on the 40-man roster. Cheng, 25, played 14 games for Boston in 2026, batting .256 with 10 hits, five runs batted in and seven runs scored across 39 at-bats. His path to the majors began when he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent in 2019 for $380,000, and he joined the Red Sox during 2026, hitting for the cycle with Triple-A Worcester before returning to the big leagues in June, when he recorded his first major-league hit and RBI against the Yankees. For Detroit, a club in offseason mode after missing the postseason for what would have been a third straight year, Cheng is a low-cost addition with versatility and a fresh start. For Boston, the twin Thursday deals signal a front office already clearing space for the winter ahead, with the quiet period before the market fully opens giving clubs room to reshape their rosters.