Alex Bregman is no longer an option for the Boston Red Sox. Saturday, he with the Chicago Cubs for five-years, $175 million. The Red Sox are left to salvage the remainder of the offseason any way that they can. Unfortunately for the Boston, quite a few potential targets are off the board, so Craig Breslow needs to get creative.
Rob Bradford of WEEI reported that they could possibly look to pivot from offense to instead acquire a higher-end pitcher alongside a lower-tier bat. This would be in an effort to double down on run prevention.
One pivot to keep an eye on with the Red Sox is re-engaging with higher-end pitching while also acquiring a lower-tier bat than Bregman/Bichette. In other words, double down on run prevention.
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) January 12, 2026
Alex Bregman Is Gone, What’s Next For The Boston Red Sox
MassLive’s Chris Cotillo likewise feels that the team could go in any direction. There are some bats still out there on the free agent market they could make a run for such as Eugenio Suárez or Bichette. But the team could also make a run for one of the many starting pitchers that have remained available on the free agent market.
Should the Red Sox go in any direction, there are options available for them. While not as exciting as Bregman, the Red Sox could get creative.
Another part of the interview where it’s discussed how the Red Sox could pivot now that Alex Bregman has signed with the Chicago Cubs pic.twitter.com/3xrcakdsQA
— Nick John (@NickJJ95) January 13, 2026
Eugenio Suárez
If the Red Sox want to acquire power and not worry about contact issues, Suárez is right up their alley. The slugger played 159 games last season between Arizona and Seattle and managed to hit 49 home runs and drive in 118 runs. Of course, he did strike out 159 times only waked 46 times. Defensively, the team could do much better than Suarez. In 2025, he graded out with a -3 Fielding Run Value. He also had -6 Outs Above Average which was the 8th percentile across the majors. What they could do to mitigate his defensive shortcomings is to slot him in as the team’s DH.
While Eugenio Suarez is not great defensively and strikes out alot he would bring power to the Red Sox lineup.
— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) January 13, 2026
Currently, it’s projected that Masataka Yoshida alongside a rotation of the four outfielders on the roster would share the DH role. Should the Red Sox sign Suárez, there should be few complaints in making him the DH.
The Red Sox could then follow that up by going in one of two directions. Either the team pivots to a free agent pitcher, or they look to the trade market for one more bat. At this point, it isn’t likely that a pitcher would make up that big of a difference from what the team will lose from Bregman when it comes to production. At least when you include the loss of production from one of the team’s current starters. Does the team get significantly better by going after a pitcher like Framber Valdez and moving the fifth starter (who could be Kutter Crawford or Patrick Sandoval) to the bullpen? Or would a trade for another bat make more sense?
Issac Parades
The Red Sox have another option and could opening up discussions with the Houston Astros once more for Isaac Paredes. Paredes, who is under control for two more seasons, would be a relatively young player for the team to acquire. He’ll be 27 years old when the season begins and has had history of competing in the AL East. He is a bit different than Suárez and could help counter his weaknesses. That’s thanks in part to his ability to lay off pitches out of the strike zone and for making contact.
Isaac Paredes demostrando su poder en los playoffs de la @Liga_Arco 🔥🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZGufxrdsga
— MLB Español (@mlbespanol) January 7, 2026
In 2025, Paredes finished the season with a chase rate of just 21.4%, placing him in the 90th percentile of all hitters.His whiff rate was just 16.4%, which was good for 89th percentile. Add to it his ability to walk (11.4% rate), and Paredes would be a good piece to complement both recently acquired Wilson Contreras.
Paredes, while not a great defender would be better than Suárez .It would also allow Marcelo Mayer to be the starting second baseman and keep Ceddanne Rafaela in center field. Parades would make the Red Sox lineup much deeper and provide sort of a veteran presence to a young Red Sox team.
Red Sox Pitching Options
If the Red Sox went out and signed Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez, they would have that number two starter to pair with Garrett Crochet. They also wouldn’t have to surrender more prospects after having traded away quite a few earlier this offseason.
With the Red Sox losing Alex Bregman, maybe they look at a guy like Ranger Suarez.
In 26 starts in 2025,
• 3.20 ERA
• 3.21 FIP
• 4 WAR
• 157.1 IPGets a lot of weak contact and will keep the ball on the ground. Might cost around $30M a year, but it solidifies you’re #2. pic.twitter.com/o1XkZ0RUCt
— Seamus (@SeamusTaylor50) January 12, 2026
A team can never have too much pitching. That was shown last year with the Red Sox as they opened the season with four starters on the injured list. By the end of the season, they were relying on rookies Payton Tolle and Connelly Early to help carry them to playoffs. Both Suárez and Valdez would also bring playoff experience to a rotation that sorely lacks it outside of Sonny Gray.
Spring training starts in just about four weeks, and the Red Sox still have plenty of question marks about their roster. It’s now up to Breslow to figure out a solution for all their questions. The clock is starting to tick now, though Breslow has shown an ability to get uncomfortable when he loses out on a player he wants. Whether he does it again is yet to be seen. Breslow does have options to fill out the roster, now it’s time to get to work.
Top Image Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
