Bichette or bust? Four options for Red Sox after Bregman disaster originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
With Alex Bregman joining the Chicago Cubs in free agency, the Boston Red Sox’ offseason has gone from underwhelming to unmitigated disaster.
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Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs on Saturday, two months after opting out of the final two years of his Red Sox pact. Boston’s offer was reportedly $165 million over five years with significant deferrals and worth $2 million less in average annual value than Chicago’s deal, which also includes a full no-trade clause.
The Red Sox’ failure to re-sign Bregman has left the club with a massive question mark at third base. One year after signing Bregman — a deal that ultimately led to Rafael Devers being shipped to San Francisco — Boston will enter the 2026 campaign with neither star player. It’s the worst-case scenario for Boston and a major letdown after an encouraging 2025 season.
So, where do the Red Sox go from here? It’s still possible to rebound from Bregman’s departure, but the options are dwindling.
Below are Boston’s four options for replacing Bregman, plus a “rating” and “likelihood” for each on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best). The higher the rating, the more the move makes sense. The higher the likelihood, the more we can picture the move happening.
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Option No. 1 – Sign Bo Bichette
Bichette is the no-brainer Plan B, but it’s hard to imagine the Red Sox spending big for the 27-year-old. They’ve shown zero willingness to overextend themselves for top-tier free agents, and Bichette is reportedly seeking a deal worth around $300 million. If his market is anywhere near that figure, that’s a non-starter.
Still, the Red Sox should be aggressive for Bichette as he’s the only truly appealing option left. He’d give Boston the right-handed infield bat it desperately needs while stabilizing what has been a revolving door at the second base position. With Bichette at second, Boston could comfortably roll with former top prospect Marcelo Mayer at third.
Option No. 2 – Sign Eugenio Suarez
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Suarez’s right-handed power at Fenway Park would be fun to watch, but it sure would be ironic to sign one of the worst defensive third basemen in the league right after shipping Devers out of town.
Infield defense has been a consistent problem for Boston in recent years, and putting Suarez at the hot corner would only worsen those issues. Sure, he might hit 40-plus homers, but the soon-to-be 35-year-old will also strike out in about 30 percent of his plate appearances. For a lineup that already strikes out at a high clip — and one that added another strikeout-prone hitter in Willson Contreras — Suarez simply isn’t the right fit.
Option No. 3 – Trade for a second or third baseman
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The Red Sox haven’t spent a cent on a big-league free agent this offseason, but they’ve added payroll with a handful of trades. Will Breslow stay active on the trade market to fill the infield void?
If Boston pursues another trade, St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan and Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner stand out as potential options. The Red Sox reportedly showed interest in Donovan earlier in the offseason, and Hoerner emerged as a trade candidate after Chicago landed Bregman.
Neither profiles as the big bat the Red Sox need, but beggars can’t be choosers at this point. The problem is Breslow doesn’t have many valuable trade chips at his disposal outside of young lefties Peyton Tolle and Connelly Early, and parting ways with either of them for Donovan or a similar option would be foolish.
Option No. 4 – Stick with internal options, upgrade elsewhere
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It’s beginning to look like Breslow and the Red Sox are ready to roll into spring training with their current infield group and hope for the best. That would likely mean Mayer at third base with a combination, David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez, and Ceddanne Rafaela at second. Perhaps former top prospect Kristian Campbell could spend some time at second as well, but he exclusively played outfield and DH while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico.
If this is the route the Red Sox decide to go, they could allocate their resources toward talented players who don’t necessarily fill a position of need. For example, outfielder Kyle Tucker remains on the market as the No. 1 free agent in this year’s class. Boston’s outfield logjam makes such a move improbable, but Breslow could theoretically add Tucker and trade Jarren Duran and/or Wilyer Abreu for a haul. Again, this scenario is extremely unlikely.
Boston could also shift its focus back to improving the pitching staff. The starting rotation is already solid, but Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez are still out there in free agency. The Red Sox have also reportedly shown interest in acquiring Milwaukee Brewers righty Freddy Peralta, who would immediately slot in as the club’s No. 2 starter.
