January 11, 2026, was a day of sadness and anger in Red Sox Nation after the news of Alex Bregman signing a long-term contract in Chicago broke late the previous night. Have gotten through most of the stages of grief, but now it's time for the final one, acceptance.
What comes with acceptance is understanding that the Red Sox still have a major hole in the infield. The Sox now have a month to pivot to other options. Their one saving grace is Marcelo Mayer. The 23-year-old will be able to slide into second or third and play above-average, potentially gold-glove level defense. That means that Craig Breslow's pivot could be a second baseman, too.
4 Alex Bregman backup plans the Red Sox could pursue in free agency and trades
Bo Bichette
The Boston Red Sox will now turn their sights to Bo Bichette.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 11, 2026
The former Blue Jays shortstop will turn 28 in March and fits the Red Sox timeline well. He fits the need of a right-handed bat and has signaled a willingness to move to second. Not only is he a righty, but he is one of the best pure hitters of the 2020s. His .293 batting average ranks 9th among qualified hitters in that time, and his 172 doubles are 10th.
The problem is that he is going to cost a major contract. While the longer his free agency drags on, the lower that number will drop, it is still likely to be around Bregman's total value and longer. The Sox will have to get uncomfortable and pay up, though.
Nico Hoerner
The Cubs all of a sudden have a crowded infield. With Bregman slotting in at third, and Dansby Swanson under contract at shortstop, Matt Shaw is going to need a new home. While some reporters have suggested he could be used in a super utility role, that may stunt his development. The other solution is to make him a second baseman and trade Hoerner.
Hoerner has one year left on his contract and plays elite defense at second. He's also coming off his best offensive season, where he hit .297 with a .739 OPS. While he won't be a replacement in the order for Bregman, he and Mayer in the infield could completely flip the defense around. While he was a six-WAR player last year, Chicago's infield surplus with him being on the last year of his deal may make him cheaper to trade for.
Eugenio Suárez
The 34-year-old is probably the least favorable of the big-name options remaining on the open market, but he could still be impactful. Suárez is a career .425 hitter with four home runs and 14 RBIs in Fenway, even if the sample size is just 10 games. He will be on a much shorter deal, likely two or three years, with an AAV in the $17-22 million range. His biggest problems are his 29.8 K% (5th percentile in 2025) and his -6 Outs Above Average (8th percentile).
Isaac Paredes
The only other true third base option is Paredes. The 26-year-old finds himself in a similar position to Hoerner in that he may not have a place to play in the Astros infield. With Carlos Correa at third base, Jeremy Peña at shortstop, Jose Altuve at second base and Christian Walker at first, the righty may become the Astros' super utility player.
Because he is blocked, the Sox may be able to deal from their pitching depth and get him at a cheaper value. That being said, with the amount of trades the Sox have made this offseason, it probably isn't the smartest to weaken the farm system any more than they have, and that goes for Hoerner, too.