The Boston Red Sox's biggest need for the 2026-27 offseason has undeniably been identified, and it's a consistent power threat. They needed the same after last season and the acquisition of Willson Contreras was certainly helpful, but the Sox need to add more thump to stay competitive.
Despite 20-plus homer totals from Contreras, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu, the Red Sox still hit 23 fewer homers this year than they did last year. The impending free agent class is quite weak, but there are a few bats on the market who could help Boston spike its homer total, and one of them is Randy Arozarena.
The outfielder has patrolled the pastures for the Seattle Mariners over the last two and a half seasons, but Seattle isn't likely to give up the money to bring Arozarena back, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (subcription required). Not only will Arozarena be a pricey addition as one of the best players on the free agent market, he reportedly prefers to play on the East Coast.
That's great news for the Red Sox — unfortunately, it's also an advantage for a bunch of rivals. Divish expects Arozarena to be coveted by Boston, the New York Yankees and Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. That's every huge market in the east.
Expected list of suitors for impending free agent Randy Arozarena is bad news for Red Sox
In the last two seasons, the Red Sox have made more of an effort to improve via the free agent market, but they haven't competed with their greatest rivals in quite some time. Boston failed to retain Alex Bregman after the Cubs countered with a better offer and didn't pay Pete Alonso before he joined a division rival.
After early playoff eliminations, the Yankees, Cubs and Phillies will be hypermotivated to succeed. The Yankees and Phillies, in particular, have older players on their roster who are scrambling to win a ring as their competitive window closes. The Mets are desperate to improve in any way after their disastrous 2026 season, and the Red Sox should feel similarly desperate. Boston won't have Contreras, Garrett Crochet, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Caleb Durbin and more under contract forever, and building around their obvious power deficiency should be a priority.
Arozarena slashed .281/.381/.484 with 34 doubles, two triples, 26 home runs and an American League-leading 113 runs in what is expected to be his final season playing half his games in Seattle's T-Mobile Park, a notoriously hostile venue for hitters. Bringing him to Fenway Park, where he already has great numbers (.278/.351/.481 slash line, 12 doubles and five home runs over 32 games), would only increase his impact.
It won't be easy or cheap to entice Arozarena to Boston given his status as one of the top players in this year's free agent class, as well as the expected competition for his services. But he's a consistent hitter and a slugger, which the Red Sox desperately need to advance in the AL East, and Arozarena plays a position from which Boston can afford to trade to accommodate him.
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