Four games into the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox have given us plenty to overreact to. While there are several issues to point out after their 1-3 start, none are more glaring than the lack of production from their offseason additions.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was active on the trade market over the winter, acquiring right-hander Johan Oviedo from the Pitsburgh Pirates, RHP Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals, and infielder Caleb Dubin from the Milwaukee Brewers. His blockbuster free-agent signing was left-hander Ranger Suarez on a five-year, $130 million contract.
All five of those newcomers have struggled mightily out of the gate. Contreras and Durbin have gone a combined 1-for-27 at the plate, while Oviedo, Gray, and Suarez have allowed 11 total earned runs and 19 hits over 12 innings pitched (8.25 combined ERA).
While it’s still far too early to hit the panic button, a look at how poorly Boston’s offseason additions have fared can help explain the club’s alow start to the season. Here’s a closer look at the group’s struggles through the first four games of 2026:
Caleb Durbin, 3B
Durbin is still looking for his first hit after four games. The former Brewers infielder is 0-for-14 with three strikeouts, including a K after working a 3-0 count with a runner in scoring position during Sunday’s loss to the Reds.
No one is expecting the 5-foot-6 Durbin to hit 25-plus homers, but he’ll be counted on to get on base consistently. He’s confident he’ll turn it around soon.
“Definitely not lost up there by any means,” Durbin said, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “It’s just have to make the adjustment and figure it out.”
Willson Contreras, 1B
Contreras, Boston’s biggest offensive addition of the offseason, is 1-for-13 with five strikeouts in four games as the cleanup hitter. While he’s already been a clear upgrade defensively at first base, the Red Sox will need him to find his groove at the plate sooner rather than later. They’re already short on right-handed power, so they can’t afford a down season from the former Cardinals slugger.
Sonny Gray, SP
Gray allowed three earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five over four innings in Saturday’s loss to the Cincinnati Reds. His pitching was better than the numbers suggest, but he made a laaughably bad fielding blunder when he dropped the ball while attempting to tag a runner at home.
Johan Oviedo, SP/RP
Oviedo made his Red Sox debut out of the bullpen in Monday’s blowout loss to the Houston Astros. He allowed four earned runs on six hits and a walk in 3.2 innings. Jose Altuve hit two homers off the ex-Pirates righty.
At this point, it looks like rookie left-hander Connelly Early should earn the last rotation spot over Oviedo. Early was sharp in his season debut Sunday in Cincinnati.
Ranger Suarez, SP
Suarez’s spring training and World Baseball Classic woes carried into his Sox debut Monday as he allowed four earned runs (two HR) on seven hits and a walk over 4.1 innings. Boston signed the ex-Phillies southpaw to a 5-year, $130 million deal to be its No. 2 starter, but it hasn’t looked promising so far.
The Red Sox’ rotation was touted as arguably baseball’s best after the acquisitions of Suarez, Gray, and Oviedo. So far, that’s looking like a significant overreaction.
