It's been another long, emotional rollercoaster of an offseason for Boston Red Sox fans. The 10 trades the Red Sox have made have incrementally made the roster better, but the big move fans have been hoping for still seems distant.
After misreading Alex Bregman's market, he departed for the Chicago Cubs, leaving Boston with Willson Contreras as its lone offensive addition to this point. Contreras is a consistent hitter with some pop in his bat, but swapping Bregman for him keeps the Sox's offense in about the same place it was at its best last season (meaning when Roman Anthony was healthy).
The Red Sox's 2025 record was riddled with one-run losses and struggles with runners in scoring position, making another bat a critically important addition for the coming campaign. Many reporters and insiders — in ESPN's list of bold predictions for the rest of the offseason, Buster Olney wrote that the Red Sox will add another bat, "because they really have to, right?"
Olney's prediction is hardly bold, seeing as Boston has targeted free agent and trade bats for the past few weeks, but he's correct that its lineup needs the extra boost. Olney recalled the Red Sox's Wild Card matchup against the Yankees, which felt "like a middleweight boxer facing a heavyweight." Ouch.
Buster Olney's prediction that Red Sox need to add a bat isn't exactly 'bold,' but Boston has a big choice to make
There are still a few weeks of offseason left and it seems the Yankees will largely rum 2026 back with the team they had last season. Unfortunately, nearly every other team in the American League East improved significantly this winter. The Blue Jays brought in Dylan Cease (who has ace potential) and Kazuma Okamoto, among others, while the Orioles added sluggers Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward, Shane Baz to their rotation, and they're still reportedly searching for rotation reinforcements.
Boston is reportedly prioritizing defensive strength with its last position player additions, which narrows an already small group of options. Going for Eugenio Suárez or Isaac Paredes would be the best move to add a boost of power. Brendan Donovan is a lefty, which Boston certainly doesn't need, a middling defender, but a consistent hitter. Nico Hoerner could be the best defensive option, but he's only an average bat and the Cubs may not be willing to trade him in the first place.
It's not bold to say that the Red Sox need to add another bat, but whichever one they pick pulls the lineup in a different direction. Whether Boston goes for a slugger or a good defender is the true bold prediction, and it's a decision it's running out of time to make.