The Red Sox didn’t waste time licking their wounds after losing Alex Bregman to the Cubs. Instead, they pivoted quickly and made a splash of their own, landing veteran left-hander Ranger Suárez - their first free agent signing of the winter.
And make no mistake, Suárez is a strong addition. He fits exactly what chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said he was hunting for: a legitimate No. 2 starter.
But while he strengthens the rotation, his arrival doesn’t patch the glaring holes in Boston’s lineup - or its infield defense.
Let’s start with what Suárez brings to the table. He’s not a flamethrower, but he’s a technician.
Suárez thrives by keeping hitters off balance and the ball on the ground. In 2025, he ranked in the 98th percentile in hard-hit rate and 76th in ground ball rate.
That’s elite territory. Pair him with Brayan Bello - another ground ball artist who sat in the 84th percentile in ground ball rate last season - and the Red Sox have a clear identity forming in their rotation.
The ball is going to stay low, and it’s going to stay in the infield.
That’s great - in theory. The problem?
Boston’s infield defense was a nightmare last season. The Red Sox committed a league-worst 116 errors, and most of those came from the dirt.
Trevor Story took a step back defensively, and neither first nor second base has been a consistent stronghold for years. Now, with Bregman gone - one of the best defensive third basemen in the game and a rare right-handed bat in the 2025 lineup - things could get worse before they get better.
Bregman’s departure leaves a major void, not just in the lineup, but in the field. He brought veteran leadership, right-handed power, and Gold Glove-caliber defense. Replacing that combination won’t come cheap, and it won’t be easy - especially not on the free agent market.
The Red Sox have reportedly shown interest in infielders like Bo Bichette and Eugenio Suárez, but both come with serious defensive concerns. Bichette had the worst defensive metrics among all shortstops last year, and Eugenio Suárez wasn’t far behind among third basemen, ranking in just the eighth percentile in range. That’s a tough sell when your pitching staff is built around inducing ground balls.
It’s not all bad news - the outfield looks strong. Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu project as a solid trio with the athleticism to cover ground and limit damage.
But even the best outfields can’t compensate for an infield that’s leaking runs. And last year, Boston’s infield gave away far too many freebies.
If they roll out the same group - or worse, downgrade further - it’s hard to see how the defense holds up behind a staff built to pitch to contact.
This puts the Red Sox in a tricky spot. They need more offense, no question.
But they also need to protect their pitching investments - especially now that they’ve doubled down on ground ball guys like Suárez and Bello. That’s why players like Bichette and Eugenio Suárez might not be the right answer.
The bats are tempting, but the gloves might cost more than they give.
The trade market could be Boston’s best bet. It’s clear the team needs to get creative if they want to improve both sides of the ball without compromising their new pitching identity.
The Bregman saga is in the rearview now. What matters is how the Red Sox respond - and whether they can find the right balance between firepower at the plate and reliability in the field.