Late on January 10, Boston Red Sox fans finally got the news they've spent all offseason waiting for — Alex Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million deal, but not in Boston.
The Red Sox lost out on their 2025 third baseman to one of the only other clubs in his market, the Chicago Cubs, and they seemingly have no backup plan. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow didn't rule out a return to the pitching market and stated that they'll consider different positions for their next offensive reinforcements (subscription required).
The Red Sox already have far too many outfielders and Breslow noted at Fenway Fest just hours before Bregman signed that trading one of them has never been a serious possibility. Adding another infielder seems to be the way forward for Boston, and former Toronto Blue Jay Bo Bichette is the best available option at this point.
But fans shouldn't expect the longtime division rival to don a Red Sox uniform in 2026 and beyond for multiple reasons. First and foremost being his asking price — the latest reports state that he's asking for $300 million, which Boston will never meet since it was unwilling to add $10 million to its offer to match the Cubs' for Bregman (subscription required). Don't be fooled into thinking that the Red Sox will sign Bichette because they're desperate and he's young enough to warrant a long-term deal in their eyes.
Bo Bichette's asking price and lackluster defense make him a poor Alex Bregman backup plan for Red Sox
Bichette would be a much-needed upgrade to Boston's offense, especially without Bregman in the mix, but he's a poor defender. Most teams coveting him would move him off shortstop (which might end up slashing his $300 million asking price since shortstop is a premier position), but there's no guarantee he thrives defensively anywhere.
The Red Sox swapped Rafael Devers for Bregman to field a defensive upgrade at third base and Bichette would not match up. Boston may as well have kept Devers if its plan is to turn to Bichette at the hot corner — too bad it can't go back to that plan.
Despite Bichette's high salary demands and his less-than-ideal defensive fit with the Red Sox, there aren't many top-tier infield options remaining on the free agent market. Eugenio Suárez is a similarly rough defensive option, but at least he'd be a short-term commitment with a bit more pop in his bat.
All Red Sox fans should be sure of is that the organization won't make the move that costs it the most money, no matter how good the free agent fit might be or how desperate they get. At this point, they could be hard-pressed ot find a free agent who will sign with them no matter what they offer.