The Boston Red Sox returned to the postseason after three seasons on the outside looking in and a long, streaky regular season on both sides of the ball.
Of course, with so much pressure on the current batch of players to produce in the team's first truly competitive season since 2021 — especially in the wake of Roman Anthony's extended absence — there are bound to be some who stand out, and others fall short of expectations.
The Red Sox are fortunate to have a strong core cast of players that are under contract for years to come, though they do have a number of veterans who may be playing there way into (or out of) the team's plans moving forward.
Let's take a look at three players who, for one reason or another, have possibly played their final games in a Red Sox uniform.
3 Red Sox who may have played their way out of the team's 2026 plans
Masataka Yoshida
Yoshida has been a trade candidate seemingly since the moment he landed in Boston, thanks to a contract that has exceeded his production to this point. We've seen how careful this iteration of the front office has been with spending; the infamous Rafael Devers trade was directly motivated by a desire to rebalance the long-term books.
The Japanese outfielder has been disappointing in 2025, slashing .266/.307/.388 (88 wRC+) with four home runs in 55 games. That's a steep drop-off from his prior production (116 wRC+ in 2024), though as an injury-prone 32-year-old who is practically a full-time designated hitter at this point, it's not clear if his value will rebound at any point in the future.
With two years and $36 million remaining on his deal, the Red Sox will likely have to eat a hefty chunk of his salary to move Yoshida this offseason. Still, his roster spot could be far better utilized on someone who isn't clogging up below-average at-bats at DH.
Jordan Hicks
Calling in Captain Obvious. Hicks was essentially a salary-filler in the Devers trade with the Giants; a once-dominant closer, he never got completely comfortable with his transition to the rotation in San Francisco.
The Red Sox moved him back to the bullpen upon acquiring him, though the results simply haven't been there. Though his sinker and fastball velocity is up, Hicks has an 8.20 ERA and an unsightly 12.4% walk rate in Boston.
With two years and $25 million remaining, Hicks simply isn't going to be a part of the team's plans going forward. Aroldis Chapman is already locked in as the closer for 2026, and others in the organization have leaped over Hicks on the depth chart. Expect the Red Sox to find a way to move him this winter.
Alex Bregman
Certainly the most controversial choice here, Bregman has been stellar in his first season in Boston... except when it has counted the most.
Bregman batted just .186/.278/.271 in the final 30 games of the regular season and logged just six extra-base hits in September (four doubles and two homers). His .647 OPS, .292 wOBA, and 81 wRC+ are all among the worst figures on the team in that span.
In October — when Bregman has played historically well — he improved on his end-of-season slump with a .300/.462/.400 slash line in the three Wild Card games. However, his September showing could suggest the team would be better off moving forward with Marcelo Mayer at the hot corner, especially if his contract demands are unreasonable. The three-year, $120 million deal Bregman signed before the 2025 season has him making the same amount of money annually as Aaron Judge, and anything more would be a severe overpay.
All of that has led to numerous questions about the third baseman's future in New England, and the truth may be that the money-conscious Red Sox deem themselves better off without a declining, mid-30s third baseman.