It’s no secret that the Red Sox would like to bring Alex Bregman back after a successful first season in Boston.
Throughout the offseason, Boston’s desire to re-sign Bregman has been consistently reported — the Red Sox reportedly made a recent “aggressive offer” to the third baseman and are still viewed as frontrunners to sign him. The 31-year-old Bregman, who had an .821 OPS and 3.5 WAR (per FanGraphs) in 2025, is an ideal fit to return to Boston, but there are scenarios where a reunion doesn’t happen.
That leads to a follow-up question: what will the Red Sox do in the event that Bregman departs for another team? Here are three ways that the Red Sox could pivot if they’re unable to retain Bregman.
Bregman has a compelling argument as the best available free-agent infielder this offseason but Bo Bichette‘s case might be just as strong.
After an injury-riddled and down 2024 season, Bichette returned to his career norms last season, posting an .840 OPS with 181 hits (tied for second in the Majors) and 3.8 WAR in 139 games. Despite missing most of the final month of the regular season and the ALDS and ALCS — he returned for the World Series to post a .923 OPS and hit a pivotal home run in Game 7 — Bichette produced an excellent ‘25 season.
Pushing the argument in favor of Bichette over Bregman is each player’s respective age. Bregman will turn 32 shortly after Opening Day, while Bichette will turn 28 in early March. While not all aging curves are linear — and Bregman has a skillset that could age gracefully — Bichette could remain smack in the middle of his prime for the next half-decade.
With Trevor Story entrenched at shortstop, Bichette could slide over to second base, a position he played for the first time in last year’s Fall Classic and one that he’s open to moving full time to. Other than bringing Bregman back, signing Bichette would likely be the single easiest move the Red Sox could make to bolster their infield.
If Bregman or Bichette don’t work out for Boston, the Red Sox have at least one excellent trade option to target for second base.
With Marte out of the running, the Red Sox could link up yet again on a trade with the Cardinals for Brendan Donovan. After acquiring Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in separate trades with the Cards, Boston could look to swing a deal for the soon-to-be 29-year-old Donovan.
Donovan might be a less exciting option than Marte, but this is still someone that had a .775 OPS and 2.9 WAR in 118 games last season while being selected to his first All-Star Game. Donovan has excellent bat-to-ball skills (career 13.5 percent strikeout rate), strong plate discipline (9.1 percent walk rate) and can capably handle second base duties and slot in left field if needed.
3. Stick with internal options (Mayer, Campbell, etc.)
We’ve made it this far without mentioning Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell, two youngsters that were part of Boston’s “Big 3” entering last season (along with Roman Anthony). While Anthony hit the ground running in 2025 and is already viewed as a franchise cornerstone in Boston, there are more questions that Mayer and Campbell have to answer.
Since being selected fourth overall in the 2021 Draft, Mayer has been viewed as a key part of Boston’s future. The youngster debuted in 2025 with mixed results (.674 OPS in 44 games) before his season ended prematurely on July 23 due to a right wrist injury that required surgery. All signs point to Mayer being ready to go for Opening Day but even if he’s healthy, the 23-year-old still has much to prove as a legitimate everyday player.
Campbell’s season went through many twists and turns after an excellent beginning, both from an on-field and personal standpoint. MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 prospect heading into the ‘25 season, Campbell made Boston’s Opening Day roster and signed a long-term eight-year contract worth a guaranteed $60 million in short order. Campbell looked like an immediate star when he had a .902 OPS through the end of April.
Campbell struggled for the next six weeks before he was optioned to Triple-A, where he remained for the rest of the season. Perhaps the optimism about Campbell’s previous prospect status has dimmed a bit, but he’s still only 23 and ample reason to believe that he can be a quality big leaguer.
This route presents the highest risk for the Red Sox, especially given the status of the rest of the AL East, but Boston is also positioned to roll with Mayer and Campbell at second and third base, if so desired.
