Six Notable Ex-Red Sox Still Kicking Around In MLB Free Agency

The Red Sox have been in active discussions regarding the current free agent market, but only really for one player.

It’s been quite a while since we heard a free-agent name other than Alex Bregman, huh?

Boston could still choose to add another player, though. MLB fell into an odd trend of letting big leaguers sit on the open market for months at a time, only for contenders (and pretenders) to swoop in after spring training commences to sign big names. It’s no different this season, with the current crop of available free agents including many that are familiar with the area.

RHP Nick Pivetta
Pivetta, 31, strongly overestimated his value on the open market, turning down the qualifying offer only to find himself throwing at a net in the backyard and waiting for a phone call.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, on the other hand, played it perfectly and will eventually earn a compensatory draft choice because the offer was declined. Pivetta will have options to choose from, but likely at a much lower number than he initially anticipated and perhaps in a different role than he’s used to.

DH J.D. Martinez
Martinez, 37, is still an above-average hitter, but his value is greatly diminished since he can’t really run anymore and hasn’t played defense on a regular basis since 2019. The Kansas City Royals feel like a potential suitor, but options are limited to teams on the cusp of contending with an open spot in the middle of the order — which is rare.

OF Alex Verdugo
Verdugo, 28, probably won’t find an everyday job anywhere, but he’s certainly worth a flyer for the majority of teams in baseball. Who will be willing to target a guy who is literally allergic to batting gloves and forgets how to play defense pretty regularly?

OF Adam Duvall
Duvall, 36, tore the cover off the ball a couple of years back in Boston, but the wheels are starting to fall off. The Red Sox found value in his versatility and power, but both seem to be gone at this point.

DH Justin Turner
Turner, 40, tore the cover off the ball a couple of years back in Boston, but the wheels are starting to fall off. The Red Sox found value in his versatility and power, but both seem to be gone at this point.

Wait, what?

INF Jose Iglesias
Iglesias, 35, had a career renaissance with the New York Mets in 2024 — and we aren’t talking about his budding musical career. New York rode the momentum of his best season in a decade to the National League Championship Series, and it seems as though it’s only a matter of time before someone scoops him up to provide levity in the locker room and steadiness at second base.