With each day that passes in the 2025-26 MLB offseason, the Boston Red Sox are losing ground in the competitive American League East.
The Red Sox are the only MLB club that hasn’t signed a big-league free agent this winter. They’ve sat back and watched as two AL East rivals — the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles — spent big on some of the best players on the open market.
Coming off its first World Series appearance since 1993, Toronto has shelled out a whopping $336 million so far in free agency. Baltimore, looking to bounce back after a last-place finish in the division, has spent $195.1 million.
The Blue Jays bolstered their starting rotation with the additions of ace right-hander Dylan Cease (seven years, $210M) and KBO League standout righty Cody Ponce (three years, $30M). They signed one of the top relievers available in Tyler Rogers (three years, $36M) and took a chance on Japanese star corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto (four years, $60M).
The O’s invested heavily in slugging first baseman Pete Alonso (five years, $155M), who had met with Boston before opting for Baltimore. They also reunited with RHP Zach Eflin (one year, $10M), after adding All-Star reliever Ryan Helsley (two years, $28M), and switch-hitting outfielder Leody Taveras (one year, $2.10M).
The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays have spent $29 million and $25.5 million on MLB free agents, respectively. New York has prioritized retaining talent after a 94-win campaign, while small-market Tampa has made its typical cost-effective moves to improve on the margins.
Although they haven’t spent a cent in free agency, the Red Sox have been active on the trade market. They started their offseason by acquiring veteran right-hander Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals and RHP Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates. They swapped pitching prospects with the Washington Nationals (RHP Luis Perales for LHP Jake Bennett), then traded for first baseman Willson Contreras in another deal with St. Louis.
Credit to chief baseball officer Craig Breslow for getting creative, but it’s time to start getting aggressive in free agency. Not reinvesting the roughly $250 million saved by trading Rafael Devers in June would be inexcusable.
Alex Bregman, who replaced Devers at third base last season, remains unsigned after opting out of the final two years of his Red Sox deal. ESPN’s Buster Olney recently reported that Boston made an “aggressive offer” to re-sign the three-time All-Star, but if he signs elsewhere, it would leave a massive void at the hot corner. He is reportedly looking for a five- or six-year contract worth somewhere in the $150M-$170M range.
If Bregman returns, the Red Sox can shift their focus to other needs on the roster, such as left-handed relief pitching. Longtime Blue Jays slugger Bo Bichette is the best fallback option if Bregman leaves. The 27-year-old is projected to earn a deal worth around $200 million.
It would be a massive disappointment if Boston’s free-agency spending isn’t at least on par with Baltimore’s by the end of the offseason. There’s still plenty of time for Breslow & Co. to catch up, but it’ll be tough to take Boston seriously as long as there’s a goose egg in the spending category. It doesn’t get much more embarrassing than being in the same conversation as the lowly Colorado Rockies, who finally signed their first big-league free agent (righty Michael Lorenzen) on Tuesday.
The Red Sox will continue to be a punchline until John Henry shows a willingness to open his wallet. It’s an all-too-familiar refrain for Sox fans, who have listened to Boston brass downplay spending restrictions despite acting as a small-market club for the last half-decade.
