After the Boston Red Sox made the playoffs in 2025 propelled by two offseason additions (Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman), the front office promised fans an aggressive offseason. The Red Sox have indeed been aggressive, having made 10 trades so far, but those moves glossed over a clear area of need.
It's clear Boston didn't expect Bregman to sign elsewhere, but it should've planned better for that possibility (which becomes much more likely if he doesn't feel his demands are being met. The trades it had already made relocated much of its expendable prospect and pitching depth, and the remaining trade and free agent candidates are imperfect fits for the roster.
Because of this, MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post has reported that the Red Sox may find an unfortunate and underwhelming answer to their infield woes (subscription required). Boston could platoon Romy Gonzalez and David Hamilton at second base while Marcelo Mayer plays third base.
It had been reported in recent weeks that the Red Sox prefer to think of Mayer as a third baseman, but it was still on the lookout for infield candidates on the free agent and trade market (subscription required). Heyman noted that they've tried to trade for Isaac Paredes and Nico Hoerner, but nothing is close.
Jon Heyman reports that Red Sox could go with Romy Gonzalez/David Hamilton platoon at second base if they don't add an infielder
If Boston doesn't add a second baseman, it'll be nearly nine years since it's had a consistent one. Hamilton has already been the Red Sox's solution at the keystone, but his defense was so full of holes they had to pursue other options. He improved on the dirt in 2025 with six errors at second base and one at shortstop in 80 games, which still isn't great. In 2024, he clocked 12 errors over 98 games.
Last season, his offense took a severe step back. Hamilton batted .198/.257/.333 with a .590 OPS over 91 games. He logged a solid 22 stolen bags, but it's clear that his speed remains his biggest strength.
Gonzalez is a fine platoon option at second base — he's played 127 games there over his five-year MLB career with a .980 fielding percentage. He had an excellent offseason last year with a .305/.343/.483 slash line and an .826 OPS over 96 games (four shy of potentially qualifying for the utility player Silver Slugger award).
Hamilton has never been able to put it together consistently in a Red Sox uniform, and while Gonzalez has grown into a great player for Boston, he's also hardly the starting infielder fans imagined after the front office announced its offseason plans. Heyman's report could also be a leverage play to make it seem like Boston is comfortable going into the season without adding another infielder, but since the rumor mill has been so stagnant in recent days that fans should see the Gonzalez/Hamilton platoon as a real possibility.