It has been a very slow start to the offseason for the Boston Red Sox. The two additions that have been made were before the Winter Meetings. The team acquired right-handed pitchers Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals and Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
As far as free agency goes, they have been shut out to date. Two targets at the Winter Meetings, Kyle Schwarber re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, and Pete Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles. Schwarber was more of a dream, but Alonso was realistic. But what makes it worse is that a division rival landed him.
With the options thinning out, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow saw another rumored free agent target come off the board on Saturday morning.
Mets Agree to a Deal With Jorge Polanco
One name the Red Sox were rumored to have interest in was Seattle Mariners free agent Jorge Polanco. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Boston was targeting the second baseman who had a big postseason for the Mariners.
“The Red Sox also remain interested in high-priced free agent Bo Bichette and versatile infielder Jorge Polanco, sources said late Thursday,” Cotillo wrote. “Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto is also a potential fit. Free agent Eugenio Suarez, who slugged 49 homers in 2025, is one of the top power bats still available, but to this point, despite poking around on him, the Red Sox have not been aggressors in his market.”
On Saturday. Polanco agreed to a two-year, $40 million deal, according to the New York Post. That is the first move since Alonso left for Baltimore, and it is another name off Breslow’s board.
What’s Next for the Red Sox?
Where do Breslow and the Red Sox go from here? They have been linked to the Arizona Diamondbacks in trade talks for second baseman Ketel Marte. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe wondered if Breslow would be willing to part ways with prospect Marcelo Mayer. Prospect pitchers Connolly, Early, and Payton Tolle could also be used. What about one of their two outfielders, Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu?
“Multiple evaluators spitballed another possibility, wondering if the Diamondbacks would seek, and the Red Sox would be willing to trade, a package headlined by a starting pitcher as well as Mayer,” wrote Speier. “After all, if the Diamondbacks trade Marte, they’d likely need to backfill their infield. And if the Sox traded for Marte to play second and re-signed Alex Bregman to play third alongside shortstop Trevor Story, Mayer would be blocked — at least in the short term.”
There are questions surrounding Mayer’s health and his ability to stay healthy. In four seasons, he’s averaged just 83 games a year. When he’s healthy, his talent is obvious, but his injury history is a risk for Boston.
The Red Sox need to add bats to their lineup for 2026. They need right-handed bats with power, and Alonso would have been the perfect fit for Fenway Park. Marte is a left-handed bat, but the longer the offseason goes along without any additions, the options get fewer and fewer. It feels like this is an Alex Bregman or bust road Boston is beginning to go down.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Red Sox Get Bad News on $40 Million Free Agent Infield Target appeared first on Heavy Sports.