There are a surprising number of quality free agents remaining on the market with under a week until the start of spring training.
The Boston Red Sox have had their sights set on Alex Bregman since they lost out in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but their chances of signing him seem to shrink with every passing day. It was also rumored that Boston sought additional relief pitching depth but hasn't signed a major league player since inking Walker Buehler on Dec. 28.
Bleacher Report is a popular purveyor of free agent predictions, and two of its recent ones would catch any Red Sox fan's eye. In Joel Reuter's Opening Day roster projection for the Sox, he included free agent infielder Jose Iglesias at second base.
Iglesias has already posted two stints with the Red Sox over his 12-year MLB career and he's fresh off a solid season with the Mets. He batted .337/.381/.448 over 85 games. His four home runs wouldn't address Boston's right-handed power problem, but his 77th-percentile defense would give it a much-needed boost in the middle infield.
Iglesias could be an interesting add for the Red Sox since they appear unwilling to pay Bregman for the six to seven years he demands. The veteran will enter his age-35 season and may be willing to take a one-year deal, which should be right in Boston's comfort zone.
Bleacher Report predicts Jose Iglesias will join Red Sox, Kenley Jansen to Tigers
In Kerry Miler's Jan. 5 free agent predictions, he expects two-year Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen to land with the Detroit Tigers. Many quality closer candidates have already been signed, and many teams with ninth-inning holes have already met their needs. The Tigers have already bolstered their bullpen with Tommy Kahnle, and they could use a bonafide closer to compliment their top-tier rotation that includes 2024 Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and top prospect Jackson Jobe.
Jansen posted a 3.44 ERA with 114 strikeouts and 56 saves over 99.1 innings in his two seasons with the Sox. The 37-year-old made $16 million last season, which may be steep for the teams that actually need his help. Jansen also didn't make a great first impression in free agency when he left the Red Sox before the season ended in 2024.
Boston reportedly still seeks bullpen reinforcements, but a reunion with Jansen seems entirely out of the cards. Iglesias, though, could be a reasonable, short-term solution to the Sox's middle infield woes.