The Red Sox spent last season scraping for offense, and the numbers tell the story. Boston finished near the bottom of the majors in slugging and ranked 26th in baseball with 163 home runs. Willson Contreras led the club with 27, while Wilyer Abreu added 24.
That kind of production leaves little mystery about the offseason plan. Boston needs more punch, and second base looks like one of the spots the front office could try to upgrade.
If the Red Sox stand pat, Curtis Mead would likely open as the starting second baseman. But Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly sees a different path, predicting Boston will land Brandon Lowe on a three-year, $75.3 million deal that includes a $25 million club option for 2030.
“Lowe seemed to fit well in Pittsburgh, but whenever you’re talking about making this type of investment, it’s hard to bet on owner Bob Nutting writing the necessary check. Some of the same teams we’ve mentioned in connection with [Luis] Arraez and [Jazz] Chisholm make sense for Lowe.
Boston would be among those, as Lowe could take over at second base, allowing Curtis Mead to compete with Caleb Durbin for time at third base,” Kelly wrote.
Lowe’s 2024 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates was the kind that would catch attention anywhere. He hit .260/.331/.493 with 35 home runs and a 121 OPS+.
The defensive side was just as important. Lowe’s work in the field improved enough to earn a Gold Glove Award nomination, backed by 13 defensive runs saved and 15 outs above average.
There are injury concerns, but the profile is still appealing: a two-time All-Star who can bring power and solid defense to the same lineup. Lowe will turn 33 next July, and he still looks capable of delivering a few more years of above-average production.
His move would also take one option off the board for the New York Yankees if they let Chisholm walk.
In Other News...
Yankees Offseason Update Raises New Doubts About Two Key Roster Plans
The Yankees are already signaling that this winter may not be a quiet one. Jack Curry said the club expects to be active before Dec. 1, and his offseason update offered a clearer look at where the front office believes the roster still needs work. Two of the biggest questions sit on the defensive side, where the long-term picture in center field and the immediate situation at third base both appear unsettled.
Currys comments also hinted at how the Yankees may be thinking beyond the current roster construction. He raised the possibility of Cody Bellinger moving to center field in 2027, a nod to the idea that the club may not be fully sold on Spencer Jones as the answer there. At third base, the Yankees still view the spot as a need even with Ryan McMahon on hand, and his underwhelming performance has only sharpened the scrutiny around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Offense Just Sent An Offseason Warning Fans Cant Ignore
The Silver Slugger finalists were announced, and for the first time in a while, the Yankees were nowhere to be found among the American League team finalists. After winning the award in each of the previous two years, that absence lands as a reminder of how uneven the offense looked across the season, especially with Aaron Judge dealing with injuries that affected the lineups overall punch.
Tampa Bay, Houston, Chicago and Minnesota all made the finalist list instead, a group that underlines how much ground New York has to make up if it wants to get back into that conversation. For a club that has long sold itself on star power and run production, being left out of the mix is the kind of offseason warning that tends to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Third Base Search Just Got More Complicated This Offseason
The Yankees offseason search for help at third base has picked up a familiar kind of complication: the kind that involves a division rival with a young bat and a price tag shaped by need. Baltimore infielder Coby Mayo has surfaced as a possible trade target, and his appeal is obvious enough for New York. He showed real offensive growth last season, and his power production would fit the kind of lineup upgrade the Yankees have been weighing.
Mayos path in Baltimore is less clear because the Orioles have a crowded infield and are open to trade talks, especially if pitching is part of the return. That is where the Yankees could have an opening, since their system and big-league staff give them something the Orioles are known to value. The fit makes sense on paper, but the kind of deal that would actually move a player like Mayo is rarely simple, especially when two teams in the same division are trying to solve different problems at once. [Read more 🡒]