I was still in substantial shock over the sudden departure of Alex Bregman and spinning out over the state of the Red Sox infield right before the Ranger Suárez signing. Yet in the space of 20 minutes, I went from freaking out over the thought of Nick Sogard as our Opening Day second baseman to feeling like it ain’t over yet.
There are two reasons: First, Craig Breslow finally came through with the pitching that conventional wisdom said he’d closed the book on for the offseason. Second, he made this comment:
We will try to continue to add offense, but leaning into pitching and defense is another way to boost our win total. — Craig Breslow
That is music to my ears. Objectively, the Sox infield, at present, is not good enough for a playoff team, and I’m happy to hear Craig Breslow acknowledge that.
This is not to ignore the importance of offense—the Sox need batters who can bring runners home. There wasn’t enough of that in 2025. But if the Sox were to follow through on the pledge to focus on defense throughout the organization, to what extent could that improve the big-league team in the near-term, even without a Big Bat signing?
The state of the Sox infield is well known, if not infamous at this point, due to all the hot-corner drama. With Trevor Story still with the team and Willson Contreras locking down first base, there are still two significant holes, which are not Romy-, Hamilton-, or Sogard-sized. Alex Cora answered many prayers when he said that Ceddanne Rafaela won’t play second base and although that statement was made before Bregman left, that promise needs to be kept.
By signing Ranger Suárez, the front office has indicated some level of awareness that merely nibbling around the edges of the roster won’t cut it. This makes me believe there will be another substantive transaction coming. (but will it be the one we want? Not so fast…)
Despite rumors of interest, recent tendencies cast doubt on there being Bo Bichette money in the Sox budget. Personally, I don’t consider him a real option, but in case anyone’s listening: Yes please! Will the Red Sox be able to make a trade with the Houston Astros for third baseman Isaac Paredes? On paper, the yin-and-yang of the Sox and Astros’ needs make this a winning and productive scenario for both sides. But both the Bichette and Paredes deals are expensive in their own ways, which makes me doubtful they’ll come together. But there are other hands to play!
There are defense-forward infielders with some nice pop here and there, or ones who get on base consistently. There’s Brendan Donovan. Now that Bregman’s arrival in Chicago possibly crowds the Cubs’ infield, Nico Hoerner may be a possibility. Eugenio Suárez would be a fan favorite in Boston due to his play and attitude; this free-agent signing is worth thinking about.
Alec Bohm can be filed under “Better Than What We Got Now.” Yoan Moncada might also belong in that file.
Craig Breslow surprised everyone by seeking out more pitching. I think he’ll surprise again by fortifying the infield—something I truly didn’t think he’d do—with the side benefit of strengthening the offense.
