Craig Breslow doesn’t need much help reading the room this winter. The Red Sox offense came up short in too many spots, and the numbers told the story: Boston finished 23rd in MLB in runs scored with 689, 26th in home runs with 163, and 20th in slugging percentage at .398. September was even worse, with the club last in the majors in runs scored, and the bats went quiet again in the Wild Card Series when the Yankees rolled past them 18-2 in a two-game sweep.
“Our offense was inconsistent. We got on base at a decent clip, but we didn’t really slug, didn’t hit a ton of home runs, and I’m not sure that we took advantage of the unique venue that we play in,” Breslow said during his end-of-season press conference. “So naturally, we’re going to spend some time thinking about how we can improve our offense, particularly how we build a roster that can thrive at Fenway Park.”
That’s the backdrop for Boston’s offseason search. Last winter, the Red Sox tried to add pop by trading for Willson Contreras, but they also watched Alex Bregman leave in free agency and lost the Pete Alonso sweepstakes to the Baltimore Orioles. Alonso then led the American League with 43 homers.
This free-agent class doesn’t have that kind of headliner at the top. Even so, there are still a few bats worth a long look if Boston is serious about fixing the middle of its lineup.
Randy Arozarena is one of the most intriguing names. The 32-year-old finished 2026 with a .281/.381/.484 line, 26 homers, 79 RBI and 26 steals over 154 games with the Seattle Mariners.
He’s coming off a career year, and doing that in T-Mobile Park only makes the case stronger for what he could look like at Fenway. Arozarena also brings a track record built for October, with 12 homers and a .946 OPS in 45 career playoff games.
The fit isn’t seamless, though, because Boston already has Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida under contract for 2027.
Seiya Suzuki belongs in the same conversation. The 32-year-old Cubs outfielder/DH hit .270/.368/.473 with 26 homers, 86 RBI and 81 walks in 143 games.
He’s been a model of consistency in Chicago, clearing 20 homers and posting at least an .800 OPS in each of his last four seasons, and he has never played fewer than 111 games in a year. That kind of reliability matters when the market is thin.
Brandon Lowe would give Boston a different kind of jolt. The 32-year-old left-handed hitter posted a .260/.331/.493 line with 35 homers and 96 RBI in 150 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He’s now hit at least 31 homers in each of the last two seasons. The concerns are real - Boston already has Curtis Mead at second base, and Lowe has had trouble against lefties - but power like that is hard to ignore when free agency doesn’t offer much else.
If Arozarena and Suzuki go elsewhere, Lowe should still be in the mix.
Eugenio Suarez remains a name worth watching, especially if Boston wants a bat that can live mostly at DH. The 35-year-old hit .212/.307/.433 with 26 homers and 74 RBI in 125 games for the Cincinnati Reds.
The Red Sox were tied to him last offseason, and his glove was part of the debate then. That issue fades if he’s not being asked to play much third base in 2027.
Suarez has never finished a full season with fewer than 20 homers, and his recent power totals - 26 last year, a career-high 49 in 2025, and 30 in 2024 - make him an obvious fit for a team that needs the ball leaving the yard.
George Springer rounds out the list. The 37-year-old hit .249/.321/.405 with 15 homers, 54 RBI and 12 steals in 126 games for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Boston was rumored to have interest in him at this year’s trade deadline, and the appeal is easy to understand: right-handed power, postseason experience and veteran presence. Springer is in the later stage of his career and coming off a down season, but he still makes sense if the Red Sox don’t expect him to be the only answer.
In Other News...
Red Sox Linked To Aggressive Astros Trade That Could Change Everything
With the offseason conversation already starting to sharpen around Boston, the Red Sox are at least being mentioned in the kind of trade talk that can reshape a roster fast. Houstons situation is part of the backdrop here, too, since the Astros are coming off a playoff appearance but still have an uncertain sense of direction, which makes them a team worth watching if Boston decides to act aggressively. Names like Isaac Paredes and Carlos Correa have entered the conversation as possible targets, giving the Red Sox a path to address the infield if they want to make a meaningful move.
The bigger question is what kind of price would be attached to that kind of pursuit, because these discussions are not just about talent, they are about contracts, health, and what a team is willing to part with. That is where players such as Garrett Houck, J.P. Rivera, and Jarren Duran come into the picture, since any serious swing at an Astros piece would likely force Boston to weigh present value against long-term control. For a club trying to find the right balance between staying competitive and avoiding a reckless move, the appeal is obvious, but so is the risk. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Bullpen Search Could Lead To A Familiar Yankees Arm
Offseason planning in Boston is already tilting toward offense, but the bullpen remains part of the conversation too, and that can open the door to some unexpected names. One possibility floated by Sports Illustrated is Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, a veteran who has spent enough time in the AL East to be a familiar face around the division and has shown he can work either as a starter or out of the relief mix.
Yarbrough posted a 3.69 ERA across 63 1/3 innings in 2026 and was on New Yorks postseason roster, though he did not get into the ALDS. For the Red Sox, the appeal would be obvious: a versatile arm who can help cover innings, ease the load on the bullpen and bring division experience with him, even if the idea of a Yankees pitcher in Boston would still take some getting used to. [Read more 🡒]
Ortiz Just Hit The Yankees Where Red Sox Fans Love It
The Yankees latest October exit gave Red Sox fans the kind of familiar aftertaste they never seem to tire of, and David Ortiz was happy to lean into it. After New York was swept in the 2026 ALDS, the former Boston slugger pointed to a problem that goes beyond one series, framing the Yankees recurring postseason stumbles as a matter of culture more than talent.
Ortizs criticism lands because it echoes the same frustrations that have followed the Yankees through too many playoff runs: basic mistakes, uneven execution and a team that keeps coming up short when the stakes rise. Even so, the organization does not appear ready to make sweeping changes, with Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone still likely to stay in place, leaving the same questions hanging over a franchise that keeps hearing the same October complaints. [Read more 🡒]