While the days creep closer to the start of January 2026, the Boston Red Sox have had a busy offseason. In total, they’ve made 10 trades, seeing a plethora of prospects, mainly pitchers, be traded away for MLB-level talent. Between Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, and recently Willson Contreras, the Red Sox are looking to take a step in 2026.
That being said, where do they stack up compared to the rest of MLB? Moreover, where do they, tier-wise, fit within the landscape of baseball as December begins to wind down? Chad Jennings of The Athletic recently published a tiered list of where teams are in their movements at the halfway point of the offseason. Between “aggressively adding” and “half-measures”, where are the Red Sox?
Red Sox are “Shaking It Up”
GettyRed Sox ace Garrett Crochet
The Red Sox, per Jennings’ tier rankings, find themselves in the second tier “Shaking It Up”, among other teams, including the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates. While most of the offseason moves have been trades, the additions of Gray, Oviedo, and Contreras have reshaped the team’s rotation and lineup. Adding a 20-25 home run right-handed hitting Contreras helps a lineup that needed some pop from the right side, due to the heavy lefty-hitting group. The pitching additions give the Red Sox an upgrade to a rotation that’s figuring out who will follow ace Garrett Crochet.
It was mentioned that they’re still waiting for their big free agent signing and are still in the mix to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman. Jen McCaffrey mentioned in recent days that the Red Sox have been in communication with Bregman’s camp. When asking chief baseball officer Craig Breslow at the Winter meetings, he mentioned that, “He’s still out there and he’s a guy that can fit our roster particularly well”. It’s been known that the Red Sox want to add two bats to their lineup.
The thing is, though, is Bregman considered one of the two bats? Or is he the cherry on top, along with the said bats? If Bregman does not re-sign, the Red Sox could be looking at running Marcelo Mayer at third base, accompanying Trevor Story on the left side of the infield. Furthermore, does that push the Red Sox to sign an infielder or trade away one of their outfielders?
Decisions, Decisions…
One of the last lines Jennings brought up was the possibility of trading an outfielder for another pitcher or infielder. Names that have been mentioned were Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu as players who could be moved for a pitcher or an infielder. The Red Sox have been linked to Arizona Diamondbacks‘ second baseman Ketel Marte for the last few weeks. Things have slowed down because there could be an issue with what the D-Backs are asking in a trade for Marte.
Another player who’s been linked to possible trade rumors is Kansas City pitcher Cole Ragans. He only started 13 games in 2025 due to a left rotator cuff strain, which saw him be placed on the 60-day injured reserve. He finished the season with a 3-3 record, a 4.67 ERA, and 98 strikeouts in 61.2 innings. It’ll be interesting to see if anything comes of a move for Ragans, who could slot in at No. 2 or No. 3 among Crochet and Gray.
One name that has been brought up in free agency discussions is former Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Bo Bichette. Bichette has stated recently that he is willing to move to second base, after playing five games at the position in the World Series. The problem is that the Blue Jays want him back and are looking to pay him more than what the Red Sox would be comfortable with. Plus, the years could be more than what Breslow will want to go at in a possible deal. Either way, there are some decisions to make for the Red Sox.
Overall, they’re considered a Tier 2 franchise that is shaking things up ahead of the 2026 season. There is still a ton of offseason to go, but it’ll be one to watch as the Red Sox look to make the postseason again for the second year in a row.
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