The Boston Red Sox missed out on Juan Soto after he signed a historic, 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets to open MLB Winter Meetings.
It has been reported that the Red Sox have followed up their Soto loss by checking in with multiple other bats. Rob Bradford of "Audacy" shared that the Sox may "immediately" prioritize signing Alex Bregman.
Bregman would add another righty bat to the lineup, which Boston needs. The Red Sox regularly played a lineup with six to seven lefty hitters last season, which left them particularly weak to left-handed pitching. Bregman, who will be 31 by Opening Day, batted .260/.315/.453 with a .768 over 145 games with the Astros last season.
Bregman is also an elite infielder, and based on last year's play, Boston's infield defense could use a hand. The veteran posted six outs above average at third base in 2024, good for a 91st-percentile rank. Bregman said he would be open to switching positions in 2025, and the Red Sox could be eyeing him as an option at second base, which has been the team's most volatile position since Dustin Pedroia retired.
The Red Sox need to prioritize pitching over signing $200 million-plus Alex Bregman
Please for the love of God do not pursue Alex Bregman for 200 million+ Red Sox….
— Ryan Martin (@remartin_34) December 9, 2024
WE NEED PITCHING. AND MORE PITCHING. AND MORE PITCHING ON TOP OF THAT. https://t.co/YXAbnHMmpj
Bregman would be a solid pivot option if offense was Boston's No. 1 need. But the Red Sox should pour all their resources into the pitching market to have the best chance at improving the team, especially given Bregman's hefty asking price.
Boston's 2024 offense was heavily left-handed, but that didn't hurt it as much as inexperienced pitching did. The Red Sox's offense ranked in the top 10 in the league in almost every metric — their small, plus-four run differential was a result of rough defense and a lack of star power in the pitching staff. An elite starter or two and experienced bullpen help would mitigate the Red Sox's biggest deficiencies from last season.
The Sox have been connected to the two available free agent aces, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. Neither one will come cheap, especially given the deal Blake Snell signed with the Dodgers last week. Boston needs pitching more than anything, and if it can sign an elite arm for a similar price as Bregman's ideal payday, it should absolutely prioritize an ace.