Who Else? Four Free Agents Red Sox Still Can Target (Besides Alex Bregman)

The Boston Red Sox have dug their hands in the trade market and free agency this offseason, and even with less than six weeks until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, there are plenty of options left to explore.

Boston has been linked to free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, a potential solution for the team’s need to add a right-handed bat to the lineup. While Bregman does fit the profile for multiple reasons, the Red Sox don’t need to toss all their eggs in one basket to fill their offensive void, as alongside Bregman sit plenty of capable free agent options.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has already worked to address the roster’s pitching depth flaws. Now, it’s time to add a bat.

Here are four the Red Sox should consider:

1. Anthony Santander
The division-rival Orioles have already lost Corbin Burnes to free agency and Santander could be Baltimore’s next major blow before Opening Day.

Santander, 30, is coming off an elite eight seasons in the big leagues. He set career-high marks in home runs (44) and RBIs (102) this past season, was named to the MLB All-Star Game for the first time and earned a Silver Slugger award. Santander also spent the entirety of his career playing for the Orioles, meaning the right-handed slugger has plenty of experience playing at Fenway Park (38 games) and against teams in the AL East.

2. Jurickson Profar
Profar, after 10 seasons in the big leagues, became a first-time All-Star last season with the San Diego Padres.

The 31-year-old utility man broke out, hitting .280 with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs across 158 games. Profar, a switch hitter, can give any team across the league the flexibility to rest nearly any infielder or outfielder — Profar has played everywhere except for right field, center field and catcher. That’s an element very few players across the league can deliver to any club.

Profar also has 27 games of playoff experience under his belt.

3. Harrison Bader
Bader could be the most affordable right-handed bat option for the Red Sox, and a solid one, too.

The 30-year-old veteran batted .236 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs while also stealing 17 bases in 143 games for the New York Mets last season. Bader remains a top-tier defensive outfield option, recording a .986 fielding percentage in 283 defensive chances in 2024 under his one-year, $10.5 million deal.

Bader’s 2.4 WAR ranks first among the remaining seven most notable centerfield free agents — beating out Michael Taylor, Garrett Hampson, Kevin Pillar, Aaron Hicks, Manuel Margot and Kiké Hernández.

4. Tanner Scott
The Red Sox ranked second in baseball with 31 blown saves in 69 opportunities, just behind the 121-loss Chicago White Sox (36).

Scott, one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, could join Aroldis Chapman, Justin Wilson and Liam Hendriks — who didn’t pitch all of last season — in transforming the Red Sox’s bullpen. Getting quality late-inning appearances hampered Boston tremendously coming out of the All-Star break, making it easy to point the finger toward a specific area when analyzing why the team fell short of the postseason.

Scott notched a 1.75 ERA across 72 appearances for the Miami Marlins and Padres this past season, making the left-hander the best relief pitching arm on the market this offseason. The 30-year-old could be a game-changing piece added by Breslow.