After missing on Alex Bregman, the Red Sox are running out of answers - and bats

The Red Sox are searching for answers as they look to improve their roster and add another power bat now that Alex Bregman is off the board and headed to the Cubs.

Bregman signed a five-year, $175-million deal on Saturday, ending his one-year stint in Boston. The immediate and obvious pivot would be free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, but his market is believed to be robust, which could complicate matters for the Red Sox.

Bichette is expected to meet with the Phillies, where he has a connection to new bench coach Don Mattingly stemming from their time together in Toronto. Philadelphia has been seeking another right-handed bat, and with talks with catcher J.T. Realmuto reportedly cooling, the Phillies could be positioning themselves to make room for Bichette.

If Bichette were to land in Philadelphia, it would likely signal the end of Realmuto’s tenure with the club and could open the door for the Phillies to explore a trade involving third baseman Alec Bohm. Adding Bichette would only make an already dangerous Phillies lineup even more potent. They’ve already re-signed Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million deal and still feature Bryce Harper and reigning National League batting champion Trea Turner in the heart of the order.

Philadelphia would face additional luxury tax penalties by signing Bichette, further complicating a potential reunion with Realmuto. It’s no secret the Phillies have been attempting to shed the combined $38 million owed to Nick Castellanos and starter Taijuan Walker this offseason.

Realmuto, who will turn 35 in March, was rumored earlier in the winter as a potential Red Sox target. Boston is expected to pursue a different path to constructing a competitive roster for 2026, but could revisit the idea of signing Realmuto alongside another bat to offset the loss of Bregman.

Another option for the Red Sox is Eugenio Suárez, who has emerged as a more viable candidate now that Boston failed to retain Bregman and missed out on other top bats such as Pete Alonso and Schwarber. According to MassLive, there are members within the Red Sox organization who “like” Suárez, and his camp is expected to learn in the coming days whether Boston intends to seriously pursue the veteran third baseman.

Suárez would provide the middle-of-the-order thump the Red Sox desperately crave. He split last season between the Diamondbacks and Mariners, slugging 49 home runs with 118 RBI—matching his career high set in 2019.

Offensively, that production plays anywhere. Defensively, it’s another story.

Suárez would represent a notable downgrade from Bregman at third base for a Red Sox team that has already ranked among the league leaders in errors over the past two seasons. In 2025, Suárez posted minus-six Defensive Runs Saved and minus-three Outs Above Average, continuing a multi-year trend of average-to-below-average defense.

He’s not the answer at third base. But after losing out on Bregman and with Bichette increasingly unlikely, Suárez looks more appealing than he probably should.

Boston could also re-engage the Astros in trade talks centered around Isaac Paredes, though it’s been reported throughout the offseason that Houston is reluctant to move him. Paredes quietly put together a strong 2025 campaign, appearing in 102 games and logging 438 plate appearances while slashing .254/.352/.458 with 20 home runs. He posted a .353 wOBA, a 128 wRC+, and was worth 2.5 WAR, providing above-average offensive production with positional flexibility.

Paredes remains under team control through the 2027 season and is expected to head to arbitration with the Astros. MLB Trade Rumors projects him to earn $9.3 million—an affordable figure when compared to what Bichette is likely to command on the open market.

The Astros are more likely to entertain moving Christian Walker, but with Willson Contreras already occupying first base, Walker would make little sense as a fit for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox and Cardinals have already completed two trades this winter and could find common ground on a third. Nolan Arenado has been made available in trade talks and could represent a short-term solution at the hot corner if St. Louis is willing to eat a portion of the remaining money on his contract. The cost would almost certainly require Boston to dip further into its farm system—a necessary evil based on how the club has chosen to operate this offseason.

From a production standpoint, Arenado’s 2025 numbers reflect a player no longer at his peak. He appeared in 107 games and logged 436 plate appearances, hitting .237/.289/.377 with 12 home runs. His underlying metrics were below league average, as he posted a .287 wOBA and an 84 wRC+, finishing the season worth just 0.9 WAR. While Arenado still offers defensive value and leadership at third base, the offensive decline raises questions about how much impact he would truly provide in Boston’s lineup.

Brendan Donovan remains an option, though he’s not the power bat the Red Sox need in their lineup. The infielder is a strong defender, locking down second base for the Cardinals last season while posting 2 Outs Above Average in 2025. Offensively, Donovan owns a career .272 batting average and a 117 OPS+, but offers limited power, with 14 home runs standing as his career high. He’s a left-handed hitter, but remains under team control through 2027 and avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $5.8 million deal with St. Louis.

That said, Donovan wouldn’t come cheap in a trade. Chaim Bloom could once again look to raid Boston’s farm system to retool the Cardinals’ organizational depth, and it wouldn’t make sense for the Red Sox to move core pieces such as Jarren Duran or Ceddanne Rafaela in a deal centered around Donovan.

If Boston is going to take on risk, they’d be better off doing so by acquiring Arenado at a reduced cost and betting on a Mike Lowell–style resurgence at Fenway Park rather than overpaying in prospects for a low-power infielder.

Prior to Bregman signing with the Cubs, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters at Fenway Fest that he did not envision trading from the team’s surplus of outfielders.

“It was never likely in my mind,” Breslow said. “We’ve got really talented outfielders. When teams call, that’s what other executives point to. They’re young, they’re controllable, they’re dynamic, they’re talented and can impact games in multiple ways. It’s really nice to be able to say they’re also members of the Boston Red Sox.”

Still, Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Rafaela have all been mentioned in trade speculation this offseason, with Duran viewed by many as the most likely subtraction of the group. Masataka Yoshida’s contract and defensive limitations in the outfield make him far more difficult to move unless Boston is willing to absorb a portion of his remaining salary.

If the roster remains intact, the Red Sox could use the designated hitter spot as a rotation tool to keep their strongest defensive alignment on the field while managing workloads across a long season.

“We talked a lot about our outfield depth, even calling it a surplus at times, coming out of the trade deadline,” Breslow said. “Then, for the month of September, we were without two very, very good players. I’ve yet to meet the person who says, ‘We have too many good players.’”

With the crowded outfield, Alex Cora would need to be creative on a daily basis, finding ways to get every player at-bats.

“Alex is really, really talented as it relates to communicating with players, to getting the most out of them and to keeping them fresh and engaged,” Breslow said. “Going into spring training with the group we have is something I’d be comfortable with in terms of the outfield, but if there are opportunities to improve the team and address other needs via that group, we have to at least be willing to listen.”

If the Red Sox were to move Duran, there would be no shortage of interest. The former 2024 All-Star Game MVP has value across the league, and Boston has previously indicated it would want a No. 2–type starting pitcher in return. The Sox had their eyes on Royals left-hander Cole Ragans, though Kansas City has shown little willingness to move him. Given how Breslow has operated thus far, it wouldn’t be surprising if Duran were ultimately dealt for multiple roster pieces rather than the coveted front-line starter.

One potential pivot point could be Cincinnati. The Reds have a surplus of young pitching, including Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, and Andrew Abbott. They also possess 23-year-old Rhett Lowder, who pitched in the Arizona Fall League in October and could be expendable given the organization’s depth. Lowder, the Reds’ No. 5 prospect, is viewed as a potential top-of-the-rotation arm and remains controllable—an attribute Breslow values highly. He made his MLB debut just 13 months after being drafted, posting a 1.17 ERA across six starts in 2024.

Lowder’s 2025 season, however, was derailed by injuries. The right-hander missed time with a right forearm strain and later a left oblique issue, appearing in just five minor league games and struggling to a 10.61 ERA.

A deal centered around Duran for Lowder and infielder Matt McLain could make sense for both sides. McLain, 26, hit .220 with a .643 OPS across 147 games in 2024 while battling a shoulder injury. It wouldn’t be a headline-grabbing move in which Boston lands a clear No. 2 starter, but it would give the Sox two controllable players with upside. 

Greene, 26, would be an ideal acquisition for the Red Sox. He is under contract for three more seasons at roughly $42 million through 2028, with a club option for 2029. Durability has been the primary concern throughout his career, as recurring injuries — most recently a right groin strain that sidelined him for more than two months in 2025 — have limited him to a maximum of 151 innings in any single season. Still, when available, Greene has performed at a level consistent with the league’s elite arms.

The Reds have maintained dating back to the General Manager Meetings that they are not interested in trading Greene this winter. For a club focused on adding offense, Cincinnati was involved in Schwarber sweepstakes, then pivoted by signing JJ Bleday and acquiring Dane Myers from the Marlins. Those moves effectively make the idea of a deal centered around Duran moot. If Breslow is intent on exploring alternative, outside-the-box paths, however, conversations involving high-end young talent such as Lowder and McLain may be what Red Sox fans are ultimately left to consider when all is said and done.

Boston has kept tabs on Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing, including checking in on his trade availability during the regular season, according to a league source. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said after Los Angeles’ World Series win that he expects Rushing to serve as the club’s backup catcher. With the Dodgers flush with young talent long admired by Boston, Rushing could emerge as a position-player piece Breslow targets alongside pitching if the Red Sox explore dealing Duran for a return other than a No. 2 starter.

That said, Boston needs to add bats to the lineup before considering subtracting Duran from the roster. It’s abundantly clear the Red Sox must think outside-the-box to improve the roster after missing out on Alonso, Schwarber, and now Bregman.

At some point, Triston Casas will return and rejoin the Red Sox lineup. When he does, his presence will provide a needed boost to the offense and give Cora another piece to maneuver as he looks to piece together a functional lineup in 2026.

But the options to meaningfully improve that lineup are rapidly evaporating, and the Red Sox need to act with urgency in the coming weeks before the team reports to Fort Myers. Bichette remains the next logical pivot, but realistically, Boston would need to outbid the market to land him—something that has rarely been part of the franchise’s DNA.

Instead, Breslow will likely be forced to search for value plays in the trade market and short-term, cost-conscious free-agent deals. That approach may fill holes, but it does little to inspire confidence that the roster is being upgraded in a meaningful way.

Boston continues to operate like a mid-market team, and from ownership down through the front office, fans are justified in questioning the direction and urgency of this group.