Red Sox’s Two Greatest Remaining Needs Identified By Bleacher Report
What's next?
The Boston Red Sox made a great move on Sunday night when they acquired Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Suddenly, Boston’s offseason is looking very solid. They’ve added quality to the starting rotation and added an impact, right-handed bat in Contreras.
But the Red Sox might not be done. Various reports suggest that Boston is still in the thick of negotiations for a potential Alex Bregman return. And if Bregman doesn’t work out, the Red Sox might pivot to another All-Star-type bat.
In that vein, Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly identified Boston’s two biggest remaining needs on Monday. Kelly acknowledged that the Red Sox are still pursuing another bat, but he also mentioned a second need that hasn’t been discussed much: a “left-handed set-up man” for Aroldis Chapman.
“At this juncture of the offseason, re-signing Bregman would be the best move for Boston,” Kelly wrote. “He was an All-Star for the Red Sox in 2025, posting an .821 OPS over 114 games. He’s also a strong defender at third base, one who could shift to second base if the Red Sox ever wanted to do that.”
“When you add in his leadership and the fact that Bregman being ineligible for the qualifying offer this offseason means that Boston won’t get anything in return if he leaves in free agency, the Red Sox should give the 31-year-old a five-year deal,” Kelly continued.
“Additionally, while Aroldis Chapman was baseball’s best reliever a year ago, the only other left currently projected to be in the bullpen for Alex Cora’s squad is Jovani Morán, who has a 4.26 ERA in 81 career MLB appearances,” Kelly added. “So, another left-handed option in the ‘pen wouldn’t hurt.”
