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The Boston Red Sox will have to pivot quickly if they cannot re-sign Alex Bregman. The All-Star third baseman remains Boston’s top priority in free agency. This comes even after the team acquired slugger Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals on December 21.

Although Bregman opted out of his previous deal with the Red Sox in early November, he was expected to agree on a new contract with the team this winter. This could obviously still happen, but the odds are falling because more clubs are interested in the infielder.

The Athletic has reported that the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks are very interested in signing Bregman. The Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs have been linked with the star as well. A potential bidding war could be bad news for the Red Sox. Assuming Bregman opts to leave Beantown, team officials will have to move fast to secure a replacement.

If Bregman signs with Toronto, Boston is expected to quickly target Bo Bichette. The Blue Jays seemingly cannot afford to keep Bichette and sign Bregman. Toronto was previously only expected to target Bregman if they lost Bichette. Nevertheless, the aforementioned report now claims that the Blue Jays could favor Bregman over Bichette.

Boston Red Sox Linked with Slugger to Potentially Replace Alex Bregman

GettyThe Boston Red Sox are being linked with power hitter Eugenio Suarez.

Boston potentially acquiring Bichette would likely make Marcelo Mayer the team’s starting third baseman in 2026. The highly-rated infielder was widely considered the top prospect in the Red Sox farm system in 2024. Mayer hit just .228 with a .674 OPS in limited chances with Boston in 2025, but is expected to improve going forward.

The Red Sox, however, may not feel comfortable giving Mayer the starting position so soon. If this is the case, Boston is being linked with Eugenio Suarez. The move would make sense considering Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made it clear he wants to add power to the roster. Few players have more power than Suarez. The slugger hit 49 home runs to go along with 118 RBIs in 2025.

Boston’s patience with Bregman could backfire, though. The Seattle Mariners remain open to bringing back Suarez in 2026. In fact, Seattle GM Justin Hollander recently claimed that there was “certainly a chance” the slugger would re-sign with the team. Hollander even admitted that he has kept in contact with Suarez’s agents throughout the offseason.

Boston is Playing a Risky Game in Bregman Pursuit

The Red Sox have also been linked with a potential trade for Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes. It remains to be seen if Boston wants to (or can) pull off another big trade after acquiring Contreras. One potential option for the Red Sox, however, now seems unlikely. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale has reported that the team will not pursue a trade for Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.

Boston may have some solid contingency plans if Bregman signs with another team. Nevertheless, these backup options could evaporate if the All-Star third baseman does not soon decide his future. The situation is becoming riskier for the Red Sox the longer it drags on. Whenever Bregman signs with a team, a series of signings could very well quickly follow.

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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