The Red Sox may not need a splashy, obvious answer this offseason. They may need a smarter one.
Boston is close enough to the top of the American League that the next move matters, and it matters in a big way. The rotation and bullpen are already in solid shape, and the lineup is in better condition than it was a year ago.
Still, there’s room to push it further. The Red Sox could chase more power, or they could lean into a different kind of offensive profile - getting on base and running, the way the Rays have done.
That’s where Luis Robert Jr. comes in.
Robert is not the loudest name in the conversation, but he might be one of the more interesting ones. The expectation is that the Baltimore Orioles will decline his 2027 option and let him reach free agency.
If that happens, Boston should at least be in the mix. He would likely come at a lower cost than names like Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki, and he’s younger than both of them, too.
Robert is 29, while Arozarena and Suzuki will both be 32 by the start of the 2027 season.
The biggest issue with Robert is obvious: health. He appeared in only 61 games in 2026 and has struggled to stay on the field since his breakout in 2023.
But that 2023 season showed exactly why he still draws attention. He hit 38 home runs, drove in 80 runs and stole 20 bases.
Even with the injuries, he still managed 33 steals in 2025 while playing 110 games and hitting 14 homers.
There’s also a fit question for Boston, especially if Jarren Duran is traded this winter, which is possible. Robert could slide in as a designated hitter, even though he can still handle the outfield and remains a strong defender there. Keeping him at DH would be one way to try to preserve his health, and his bat and speed would give the Red Sox another offensive weapon.
If Boston is looking for a lower-cost player who can help in more than one way, Robert is at least worth serious consideration.
In Other News...
Orioles Still Have One Obvious Outfield Problem After Latest Roster Moves
The Orioles kept trimming and sorting their roster this week, a familiar offseason task for a club trying to balance flexibility with a clear need in the outfield. Jos Barrero and Albert Surez cleared waivers and chose free agency, Colin Selby was reinstated from the injured list and sent to Triple-A Norfolk, and Codi Heuer accepted an outright assignment to Norfolk, leaving Baltimore with 33 players on the 40-man roster.
Luis Robert Jr. remains the most notable name in the middle of it all, because the Orioles moved on from his contract option and sent him into free agency. Even after the latest roster moves, the outfield still looks like a spot Baltimore will have to keep addressing, and the front office now has room to keep working on it without forcing a decision just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Turned Luis Robert Jr Into An Offseason Debate
Luis Robert Jr.'s Baltimore stint never really got the chance to get going, and now it has already become an offseason decision point. The Orioles have declined his 2027 team option, another sign of how aggressively they are sorting through their roster after a season in which they also moved on from several other players' options for next year.
Robert was claimed off waivers from the Mets in 2026, but injuries kept him from making much of an impact in Baltimore. He appeared in only three games for the club before ending up on the injured list, and the stop-start season left the Orioles with little choice but to treat his future as part of a broader reset rather than a simple return plan. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Risk A Costly Mistake If They Rush More Young Extensions
The Orioles have spent the past 18 months leaning into a familiar small-market strategy, locking up young talent before salaries climb and giving themselves more payroll certainty down the road. It is the kind of approach that can look shrewd when the player develops into a core piece, especially with deals that are often backloaded and designed to keep costs manageable in the short term.
But the same formula can turn expensive fast if the evaluation is off, which is why this stretch matters so much for Baltimore. The club has already made several such commitments, and the broader lesson from around the league is clear: a team can protect its future budget only if it is confident the player in question is truly worth the risk, because one misread can leave a franchise paying for potential that never fully arrives. [Read more 🡒]