Is Bo Bichette Plan B for the Red Sox after Alex Bregman moved on to Cubs … or is it something more creative?

39 comments

  1. From [Globe.com](http://Globe.com)

    By Alex Speier

    How good is Plan B?

    Late Saturday night, the Red Sox offseason took a significant turn when [Alex Bregman agreed to a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/10/sports/alex-bregman-cubs/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link). And so, the Sox — who 11 months ago, had a surplus of power-hitting third basemen in Bregman and Rafael Devers — now have none.

    The Sox, of course, had been interested in a reunion with Bregman, whom team officials described as their clear top choice as a positional option this offseason. He was their best player while healthy through the first two months of last year, earned an All-Star nod in his one year in Boston, and emerged as a tremendous clubhouse presence who teammates credited as a significant force in their improvement.

    But while the team, according to multiple major league sources, offered Bregman a five-year, $165 million deal, their proposal fell short. Not only did the Sox offer Bregman fewer total dollars than Chicago, but significant deferrals that would have lowered its present value considerably below what the Cubs (who also included deferrals in their offer) are now set to pay.

    In terms of present-day value, the Sox were offering Bregman less than what designated hitters Pete Alonso (five years, $155 million) and Kyle Schwarber (five years, $150 million) received in their deals. The Cubs also included a full no-trade clause, something the Sox never had on the table.

    So what now? As recently as Saturday — hours before news of Bregman’s agreement with the Cubs broke — chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reiterated his hope that the Sox would add a second middle-of-the-order bat in addition to first baseman Willson Contreras, acquired last month from the Cardinals in a trade.

    The Sox viewed Bregman as their Plan A candidate. Hours later, Plan A was gone. And so, the Sox must define an alternate course.

    They faced a similar pivot last offseason, of course. The Sox made a significant pursuit of lefthander Max Fried, proposing a seven-year deal in the $190 million range. When the Yankees trumped that bid with an eight-year, $218 million deal, the Sox turned their attention to [trade talks with the White Sox about Garrett Crochet](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/23/sports/garrett-crochet-red-sox-trade/?p1=Article_Inline_Text_Link).

    Suddenly, the Sox were willing to make an offer they hadn’t been willing to make prior to Fried’s signing — fronting a trade proposal with both catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery. With that, the Red Sox went from being eliminated by the White Sox as a trade candidate for the lefthander to a downhill sprint to a deal that netted Boston an ace.

  3. I’m guessing the “plan” will be both half-assed, and whatever is the cheapest option

  4. Isaac Paredes is projected for a slightly higher OBP and wrc+ than both Bichette and Bregman. So from an offensive standpoint that’s a very good pivot, and he could fill that #2 spot in the lineup as well as anyone available. Obviously he has less defensive value. But getting a 3B instead of a 2B would allow us to switch Story to 2B and give Mayer a shot at SS.

    And as far as how Paredes’s total value compares to Bregman’s — on a per game basis, it’s not bad. Paredes is projected for 2.3 WAR next year, but that’s partly because Correa and Walker are blocking him from some playing time. He’s projected for 3.5 WAR/162 to Bregman’s 4.1.

  5. The plan is a platoon between Romy/Hamilton/Sogard and we’ll have the worst offensive production at 2B in the league.

  7. I wish, but no. They will say they’re all in but they’re not. We know the script.

  9. It should be. Unless they make a trade that doesn’t involve a player that is on the major league roster. Which I think would be pretty tough to do. At least for a good player.

  10. there is no back up plan that involves sending money. Stop expecting this team to spend money while people still go to games

  13. I don’t think this club has earned the right for us to expect they have a plan b. I think they are actively working on a solution but I haven’t seen much proof that there is a cohesive plan being executed.

    My best guess is that they try to acquire Nico Hoerner from the Cubs, or Donavan from the Cardinals. Both players have minimal contracts and are serviceable options at 2B. Both have proven that they get on base and can be 3-5 win players.

    What they give up to get one of these guys is beyond me. Hoerner shouldn’t cost much since he’s a one year rental and the Cubs now have an abundance of infield talent.

  14. Hey Breslow, you know the guy you wanted but didn’t want to spend the money on? Well there’s a guy who isn’t as good and will just be as old as Breggy would be at the end of the proposed contract and costs more money and years.

    Why overpay for Bichette when they wouldn’t pay less for Bregman?

  15. ‘I know it’s been a long process, guys, but I really think they get a deal done with ~~Bregman~~ Bichette.’

    Suckers. 😆

  20. We’re going to trade for Arenado or something and you’ll all cope for a few weeks until the reality of the season sets in during spring training, and then half of you will forget why we should be mad when they win 5 games

  22. Bo isn’t in the plans, unless the plan is to pretend they are interested in a FA

    There is no chance they give that big off a contract to a guy with a QO.

    It’s going to be Suarez at 3b or Marcelo with a platoon at 2b

  23. Oh god is “creative” the new “aggressive” or “full throttle”? As much as I hate it I would almost prefer they just admit they don’t want to spend money, then at least they’d be cheap and honest

  24. Plan B is to have David Hamilton play too much, but given he has a dWAR over 1 the Devers trade defenders/Henry stans should be thrilled about his position in the lineup. After all, Devers was a terrible defender and that is obviously the most important aspect of the game.

  30. Fully expecting them to pass on Bichette and just patch together an infield again.

  31. Signing Bichette is what a team willing to spend and looking to win would pivot to. The Red Sox will likely try to acquire Arenado or Paredes as distressed assets that provide “value contracts” or just look to solve it in house with Gonzalez/Mayer/Campbell. Which given Mayer’s stiff lower half on swings, Campbell’s struggles adjusting to big league stuff, and Romy best being deployed as a utility guy is…shaky at best.

  35. Small market teams have to get creative since they just don’t have the cash of storied, big market franchises to sign free agents.

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