During the Boston Red Sox’s 2000s–2010s heyday, a ball grounded to the infield was never a concern. With Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, and Kevin Youkilis anchoring the dirt, Boston built its success on defense and consistency.
In recent years, that stability has vanished. The 2025 Red Sox won 89 games and reached the playoffs, yet their infield remained a revolving door. Names like Abraham Toro, David Hamilton, and Nick Sogard had flashes but aren’t long-term answers.
The Sox led the league with 116 errors, six more than the pitiful 43-119 Rockies, but still ranked 12th in Defensive Runs Saved, thanks mostly to Ceddanne Rafaela. With a deep prospect pool and millions invested, Boston needs multiple lasting solutions to secure its infield.
First base has been a problem at Fenway since the 2020 Mitch Moreland trade. In 2025, the position produced -0.8 WAR, far from ideal. Michael Chavis, Bobby Dalbec, and now Triston Casas have all flashed promise before fading.
Casas showed his power in 2023 with 24 home runs but couldn’t stay healthy, playing only 29 games this season and hitting .182 before rupturing his left patellar tendon. His injury forced a rotation of Abraham Toro, Romy Gonzalez, and eventually Nathaniel Lowe. Lowe replaced Toro after his slump and posted a .790 OPS and 121 OPS+, making him a solid, cheaper stopgap.
Still, longtime Mets slugger Pete Alonso, fresh off a career year with 38 homers and a league-leading 41 doubles, opted out and seeks a $100–200 million deal. If John Henry wants to contend, Alonso is the move, and the Red Sox front office might feel the same — they've ben linked to Alonso dozens of times ahead of the Winter Meetings. Otherwise, Kristian Campbell could shift to first base, where he was already seen practicing last season.
Signing Pete Alonso, reuniting with Alex Bregman is best plan to stabilize Red Sox's error-prone infield
Second base was one of the hardest positions for the 2025 Red Sox to fill. Hamilton, Gonzalez, Campbell, and even Rafaela all logged at least 24 games there. Cora likes Hamilton’s speed and utility, but he proved unreliable. Rafaela is too valuable in the outfield to be average in the infield. Campbell struggled in his debut, posting -1.0 WAR with seven errors, while Gonzalez became a solid lefty-masher, hitting .305 and earning a role as a platoon bat. None of them are long-term answers.
Marcelo Mayer is too talented to ride the bench. Giving him consistent innings at second base makes sense for now. As Trevor Story’s range declines, Mayer can shift to shortstop, where he’s likely the future. He’s already flashed his glove at third base and shown progress at the plate in just 44 games.
It's widely believed that the Red Sox will pursue a reunion with Alex Bregman to keep him at the hot corner in 2026 and beyond. Bregman, who will be 32 by Opening Day, signed a three-year, $120 million deal last winter with opt-outs after each season, which he exercised this October. After nine seasons in Houston, he proved a reliable addition in Boston, hitting .273 in an All-Star campaign during his first year at Fenway. He was among the league’s top hitters early on before a quad injury limited him to 114 games.
After Rafael Devers was traded midseason, Bregman stepped up as a veteran presence in the infield. All signs point to the Sox pushing hard to re-sign him, though competition will be stiff. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, MLB insider Jim Bowden projects Bregman to land a six-year, $182 million deal. With few options in free agency, former Sox prospect Yoán Moncada is the next best alternative, another reason Boston should do whatever it takes to bring Bregman back. Bo Bichette has also joined the fray as a potential third baseman for Boston, and he would be a great addition to the offense, but he lacks the defensive stability Bregman brings.
With a weak shortstop market, Story’s bounce-back 25/31 season was his best in Boston, producing 3.8 WAR and putting him near the top of free agents. Once seen as a cut candidate, the injury-plagued shortstop silenced doubts with a healthy, productive year.
Even if his numbers dip, Story has shown he can stay healthy and reliable over 162. With Bichette and Ha-Seong Kim headlining a thin market, sticking with Story makes the most sense. He opted into his contract with the Sox, and Craig Breslow has already committed to him as the shortstop for the upcoming season.