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What we’re hearing on Red Sox search for bats (including new name) after Winter Meetings
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- What we’re hearing on Red Sox search for bats (including new name) after Winter Meetings
At this week’s Winter Meetings, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow watched big names like Kyle Schwarber (Phillies) and Pete Alonso (Orioles) come off the board while not making any moves of note in Orlando . As he departed the Waldorf Astoria, Breslow vowed to keep trying to add to Boston ’s roster.
“We’re going to head back to Boston and continue to work at putting the best team on the field that we can in 2026,” he said.
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Those efforts have continued in the hours since Breslow and his front office landed back in New England on Wednesday night. The Red Sox remain intent on adding a bat, and sources indicate they are still aggressively pursuing multiple avenues, even with Alonso and Schwarber off the board.
Boston is taking an open-minded approach and still not ruling anything out when it comes to adding to the lineup. With that said, it remains possible that the club could either add one or two bats before Opening Day. With a payroll projected to already be around $225 million, it’s unlikely the club has the appetite to take on two big deals exceeding $25 million on an annual basis. Still, sources say, Red Sox brass anticipates the final 2026 payroll will come in higher than the final 2025 number, which was around $248-249 million. Now, it’s about closing deals to make that an actuality.
As of Thursday night, the Red Sox remained in pursuit of many of the top position players still on the market, casting a wide net in terms of type of transaction (both free agents and trades) and positional fit. Boston remains engaged with free agent Alex Bregman , a source said, and is involved in trade talks with Arizona on Ketel Marte as well as Houston on Isaac Paredes . The Red Sox are one of many teams interested in Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan , but St. Louis still might hold onto him. A new name has also surfaced for the Red Sox, who according to a source are pursuing Donovan’s teammate, Willson Contreras , in trade talks. The three-time All-Star played first base (120 games) instead of catching last year and is thought to be available with two years, $41 million and a 2028 club option remaining on his deal. He has a full no-trade clause but might be willing to waive it for the right fit.
The Red Sox also remain interested in high-priced free agent Bo Bichette and versatile infielder Jorge Polanco , sources said late Thursday. Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto is also a potential fit . Free agent Eugenio Suarez , who slugged 49 homers in 2025, is one of the top power bats still available but to this point, despite poking around on him, the Red Sox have not been aggressors in his market.
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There’s obviously mutual interest with Bregman, whose market might pick up with Alonso and Schwarber both off the board. There are questions about the rest of Bregman’s market, though he’s known to have received at least some interest from the Cubs, Tigers and perhaps others. That Bregman reportedly is trying to get the Mariners involved in his market is an interesting sign that the early offers might not have lined up the way he hoped. An interesting wild card that could enter the fray is the Mets , who have money to spend and spots to fill after watching both Alonso and closer Edwin Díaz walk.
The Red Sox don’t feel like they need a resolution from Bregman’s camp before pouncing on another hitter, and to that end, continue to try to move the ball down the field on other talks. As of Friday, they — along with many other clubs — remained engaged with Arizona on Marte but nothing was close. One source described the talks, to this point, as “exploratory.” Arizona is clearly targeting starting pitching in talks for Marte but also might be intrigued by young infielder Marcelo Mayer , who the Red Sox would be hesitant to give up on. The Red Sox are under the belief there’s a path to a Marte trade that would not include Mayer, but the involvement of other teams will dictate what Arizona ultimately does.
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