Fri Aug 01 23:20:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The Boston Red Sox made surprise lineup changes before their game against the Minnesota Twins, fueling trade speculation. All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman was scratched from the lineup, officially due to fatigue, and ace Garrett Crochet’s scheduled Friday start has been pushed back. While manager Alex Cora claims the Crochet decision was pre-planned, analysts suspect it could be linked to acquiring a pitcher (possibly Arizona’s Merrill Kelly, who is scheduled to start Friday for the Diamondbacks.) The text also lists various other trade rumors around the MLB, unrelated to the Red Sox.

**News Article:**

**Red Sox Spark Trade Frenzy with Last-Minute Lineup Changes**

**BOSTON, MA -** The Boston Red Sox sent ripples of speculation throughout Major League Baseball today with a series of unexpected lineup changes just prior to their afternoon game against the Minnesota Twins.

All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman was scratched from the lineup. Manager Alex Cora attributed the decision to fatigue, stating that Bregman was “a little bit tired” after the previous night’s game. While Bregman had a productive outing, going 1 for 5 with two runs, the late announcement raised eyebrows.

Adding to the intrigue, ace pitcher Garrett Crochet will no longer start this Friday as originally planned. His start has been moved to Monday or Tuesday, a move Cora insisted was a pre-determined plan, stating that it was discussed as a group earlier in the week and Crochet understands.

However, NESN analyst Lou Merloni believes a trade is in the works. Merloni speculates that the Red Sox are maneuvering to acquire a pitcher who is slated to start this Friday, specifically mentioning Arizona Diamondbacks ace Merrill Kelly, whose next start is scheduled for Friday against the Oakland Athletics.

The Red Sox have been relatively quiet in the trade market, but these sudden changes suggest that General Manager Craig Breslow may be on the verge of a significant move before the upcoming trade deadline.

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