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Ex-MLB GM gives Red Sox strong offseason grade, still questions infield
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- Ex-MLB GM gives Red Sox strong offseason grade, still questions infield
The Red Sox were busy this offseason on the trade market . But when it came to signing free agents to a major league contract, they only signed Ranger Suárez .
Regardless of the lack of free agent moves, The Athletic's Jim Bowden still gave Boston 's offseason a B+.
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"The Red Sox failed in their attempt to bring back Alex Bregman and were unable to sign Bo Bichette as his replacement," the former MLB general manager wrote . "However, they did upgrade at first base with the trade for Willson Contreras and they improved their rotation significantly with the pick-ups of Ranger Suárez and Sonny Gray , as well as depth options like Johan Oviedo and Jake Bennett."
The Red Sox still have a lot of questions going into the 2026 season, including who will play third base. After Bregman signed a five-year deal with the Chicago Cubs , Boston was left with a hole at the position. Marcelo Mayer can play third , but then the Red Sox need to decide who plays second.
Bowden's biggest question for Boston is whether it can upgrade second or third before Opening Day.
The Red Sox were linked to Ketel Marte during the winter, but it appears the Arizona Diamondbacks won't trade the infielder before Opening Day.
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A potential target in Eugenio Suárez came off the board Sunday when he signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds . Despite being linked to Boston, the Red Sox never made the third baseman an offer.
Kristian Campbell's future with the team is also unclear. After beginning the 2025 season in the majors as the second baseman, he began to struggle and spent the rest of the year with Triple-A Worcester.
There's also the question of how they handle Triston Casas after acquiring Contreras. The Red Sox didn't commit to Casas being the team's first baseman , and it's still unclear if he'll be ready to go after suffering a major knee injury in May.
Spring training begins later this month, so the Red Sox still have time to upgrade if they want to. But time is running out as they prepare for the 2026 season.
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